Sword Art Online: Dual Blades
by Guiyver
Summary: Sword Art Online. In this virtual world with no trace of artificiality, 1,000,000 players have been trapped in a death game. As players struggle to come to grips with their new reality, they must overcome new challenges. All the sensations in the game feel completely real, including pain. How will Kirito and Asuna survive in this world, where dying in-game means dying in real life?
1. Chapter 1: The World of Swords

**WARNING:** For those of you who haven't read the light novels, there may be slight spoilers (ie. characters from later in the story and using the Soul Translator instead of the Nerve Gear)

**Author's Note:** Thank you for deciding to read Sword Art Online: Dual Blades. There was a story in the fanfiction archives titled "Dual Blades" by Nanospeed. It had an interesting concept and a great start but sadly the story was never finished. For those of you who would like to read it, I've favorited both the author and the story and it can be found on my profile. Inspired to finish writing it, I had started this story over a year ago, never posting it though and only showing it to a few friends just in case the original dual blades fanfiction did start updating again. The first chapter is very similar to the first chapter of Dual Blades by Nanospeed. I had just left it that way when this was a story I had only shown to my friends and didn't want to go through all the work of re-writing a chapter that had already been established. I would write nearly the same exact story-line, only changing the way it was written. It's also mostly a re-telling of what happened in the first episode of the anime so I saw it as unnecessary. I already have the first few chapters done but I'm currently proofreading them. Someone offered a great idea to the story that I thought I had to include. To do that, I'm making some changes to the story I have so far. If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know! This is my first fanfiction and I'm honestly not sure how talented I am at writing but I do hope you enjoy the story. Please, no flames. I am, however, open to constructive criticism. If anyone could help me with suggestions to better the story it'd be appreciated. Even something as simple as a grammar or spelling mistake I didn't catch would help.

Instead of a game exclusive to only the Japanese, I decided to make Sword Art Online available to everyone, causing the number of players to go from a mere 10,000 to 1,000,000. Too extreme? Let me know what you think. Because of this, the castle Aincrad will also be much larger than it was in the original SAO. As if Aincrad hadn't been giant enough right?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sword Art Online. If I did, Asuna wouldn't have been reduced to a side character or damsel in distress. Now without further ado, let us begin the story.

**Edit:** Thank you wiseguy227 for correcting me, Kirigaya is Kirito's surname. Kazuto is his given. I'd also like to thank TreeBindingDeath for pointing out that I had Nerve Gear in some places by mistake instead of Soul Translator. Thank you tymofey for reminding me who the author of the original fanfiction I based this off is. I tried searching but I couldn't remember the title nor the author of who wrote it. It was also an old story so it was rather difficult to find with all the SAO fanfics there are.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The World of Swords<strong>

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><p>With a yawn, fourteen year old Kirigaya Kazuto stretched as he opened his eyes and slowly regained consciousness. Kazuto shivered, the room was bitter cold. Looking up, he noticed that he wasn't on his bed. He was sitting at his desk with the computer on. Wondering why it was so cold, he looked around and noticed his bedroom window was open. Kazuto quickly got up to shut the window, sheepishly wondering how he managed to forget to close it considering the cool November weather.<p>

"I hope I don't end up catching a cold," he said to himself. As if jinxing it, the poor boy sneezed immediately afterward.

Kazuto gave a loud groan before deciding to return to his desk. He looked back at his computer screen and saw windows of social media sites and Fulldive forums that he had been browsing through the previous night. Kazuto realized he must've been up all night surfing the web before passing out on his desk. The webpage he was on displayed an article of an interview with Director Kayaba Akihiko. Aside from being the person who founded the multi-billion dollar company, Argus Industries, he was also the genius creator of Sword Art Online and the Soul Translator.

His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered something important. Today was the day the world's first true Virtual Reality MMORPG, Sword Art Online, would open its servers to the 1,000,000 people worldwide who were lucky enough to get a copy.

Out of the 1,000,000 people who got a copy of Sword Art Online, there was a smaller, even luckier group of 10,000 people who got the privilege to enter the beta test and play the game before anyone else. Kazuto was one of them.

A grin crossed his face as he reminisced on his time in the beta test. The organization Argus with Kayaba Akihiko as the development director had managed to create an extraordinary game. It had been amazing - the fantasy world of swords, Aincrad. The expansive world was stunning, with beautiful scenery you could only find in movies.

In that world he was free, unbound by the limitations of the real world. Regardless of what circumstances you were born in, whatever disabilities you might have, it didn't matter. All that mattered in the game was your skill as a player. He sometimes forgot that it was all just fake; a virtual world. Due to advanced new Soul Translation technology, everything in that world seemed so real. Sometimes even more real than reality. Never had Kazuto ever felt more alive than in his time during the beta.

From what Kazuto knew, the soul translator could read the fluctlight, or the "soul" of a person. The coding in the human consciousness was then replicated, making everything in the virtual world seem real. By combining that with an advanced processing system, the Soul Translator was able to create a world where everything from the unpredictable flames of a fire to the complex movements of water was perfectly mimicked.

Soul Translation also provided many other benefits. For example, by reading the players fluctlight, the soul translator was able to automatically translate languages from all across the world. Regardless of whether someone spoke another language or lacked the ability to speak at all, you would be able to understand them. As a result, SAO was able to become a worldwide game with people of all different cultures and ethnicities playing.

The first Fulldive systems weren't nearly as realistic as they are now. Before, Fulldive systems would use binary codes and polygons in an attempt to create a realistic virtual world. However, they weren't perfect. The air had no dust, clothing couldn't wrinkle, liquids felt weird, and most objects were immortal. There were too many possibilities that couldn't possibly all be coded for.

A sudden cough abruptly stopped his thoughts. "Damn. I really did catch a cold," Kazuto muttered to himself.

He stared at the clock in his room. It was 12 PM. There was still a full hour before the game started and the servers opened. His cold was just getting worse. Kazuto went downstairs to see if they had any medicine and found some in a cabinet. He glanced over at the table and saw a plate of food with a note under it.

Kazuto picked up the note which read, "Good morning! I knew if I didn't make breakfast for you, you'd just skip it like you always do. You should stop staying up so late Onii-chan. Anyways, I'm off to kendo practice. –Sugu"

Kazuto smiled slightly. Suguha was Kazuto's little sister. Or that's what he originally had thought anyway. They were once the closest of siblings. However, things became somewhat tense between them after Kazuto found out he was actually adopted. His parents had died in a tragic accident, so his aunt and uncle took him in. After finding this out, Kazuto started distancing himself from his relatives. Despite his efforts though, Sugu still cared for him and did her best to stay close and be there for him.

Sighing to himself, he decided he needed to make up with his aunt, uncle, and Sugu. Even if they weren't actually his real parents and sister, they were still a family. They were always there for him, why had he even tried to push them away? It didn't make him any happier, and it clearly only saddened them. He made up his mind. Tonight, he would apologize and try to make things right. He wanted to return things to the way they once were.

After finishing breakfast, Kazuto headed back up the stairs and into his bedroom. The medicine hadn't helped much. In fact, Kazuto's cold was still gradually getting worse. It was easy to forget about your real body and neglect to take care of it while in Fulldive so he made a mental note to exit the game every now and then to take the medicine and see how he was doing.

Glancing over at the clock, Kazuto saw that it was 12:55 PM. Excitement coursed through his body. In less than 5 minutes he could be in that world once again…!

Kazuto shut down his computer and slipped on his Soul Translator. It was time. After adjusting his body on the bed so that it was comfortable, Kazuto stared at the small digital clock on the inside of his red helmet. He watched as the seconds ticked down to 1:00 PM.

At 12:59:59, with a grin of anticipation, Kazuto spoke the voice command that initiated the start-up sequence that would strip him of any awareness of the outside world.

"Link start!"

·:·:·:·:·:·

In Japan, one common method of creating pseudonyms was combining syllables from their given and family names.

Kirito. That was the name Kazuto had created by combining "Kiri" from his surname, Kirigaya, and "To" from his given name, Kazuto.

He entered the name on the holographic keyboard before him. After entering his password, the game surprised him by prompting whether or not he wanted to load his beta character data. He smiled slightly, knowing that this would save him from the tedious task of having to re-create his beta character. A player could always just choose a randomly generated appearance, but Kazuto had taken a considerably long time designing his character, making sure every little detail was perfect and to his liking. Kazuto accepted the prompt.

Suddenly, a message appeared reading, "Welcome to Sword Art Online!"

As if waking up from a daydream, Kirito opened his eyes then blinked a few times, still in a daze. He wore the basic starting clothes, a plain long-sleeved blue shirt with a light brown fabric over it that seemed to be used as armor to protect his body. Looking around, he saw he was in the central square of the City of Beginnings. He stared at the majestic medieval structures around him in awe, looking back and forth between the bustling crowd, the wandering stray animals, the shop NPCs, the water in the marble fountain, and the minstrels playing background music. There wasn't a trace of artificiality anywhere. This was the power of the Soul Translator and it never ceased to amaze him.

Clenching his fist with anticipation, Kirito said to himself, "I'm finally back in this world!" Without wasting any time, he headed off in a rush towards the nearest weapons shop. Every player started off with a decent 500 Col which would be at least enough for an adequate sword and a few potions.

Similar to any traditional RPG, monsters inhabited the wilderness and yielded Exp, Col and Items upon death. Accumulating Exp, or experience points, was the real world equivalent to physically training your body to become more powerful. Col was the currency of SAO. Items could be anything from consumables like food or potions, to equipment like plate armor or picks, to raw material like spider silk or leather hide. Aside from killing monsters, completing quests could also give Exp, Col, and Items.

"Hey! You! Wait there!" the loud voice of a stranger called from behind, causing Kirito to abruptly stop in his tracks. Looking back he saw a man who appeared to be in his early 20s. Like Kirito, he wore the same basic starting outfit, except differing in slightly different colors. Instead of a blue and light brown, the man's outfit was red and dark brown respectively. The stranger also possessed a bandana over his flowing, red hair.

"Yes?" Kirito answered cautiously.

The man jogged over to Kirito and hutched, trying to catch his breath. "Whew. Too fast. The way you move around here, it seems like you know where you're going. You were a beta-tester right?"

"Y-yeah," replied Kirito after a moment of hesitation.

"Today's my first day," he exclaimed, putting his hand on the Kirito's shoulders as if they were good friends rather than total strangers who had just met. "Show me the basics okay?"

"Um," Kirito was at a loss of words and wondered how this man could be so shameless and demanding to a person who he had just met.

"Please, I'm begging you," the stranger replied, clasping his hands together.

_Well at least he's humble,_ Kirito thought. _Or desperate_.

Kirito stared at the begging stranger for a moment. _Ah what the heck, it's not like helping out a newbie would be too much trouble and he doesn't seem like a bad person._

"Fine," Kirito replied with a sigh, giving pity to the stranger.

"Thanks man!" the stranger said with a grin, "I'm Klein. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Kirito. First why don't we head to a weapon shop and get some better equipment? There's one over this way."

At the shop, Kirito bought a «Starter One-handed Straight Sword», because he was adept with this particular weapon type in the beta-test. Klein hesitantly stared at the various weapons. He purchased the «Starter One-handed Curved Sword» on a whim, because it looked like a samurai's katana.

_Oh well, if he doesn't like it, he can exchange it for a different weapon later_, Kirito thought to himself.

After buying their weapons, the 2 players exit through the iron gates of the city and cross the oak drawbridge into the green meadows.

·:·:·:·:·:·

"Gwah- right in the crotch," Klein cried out in pain as a level 1 E-class monster, the «Frenzy Boar», knocked him aside with a charging trample attack. Level is the measure of a player or monster's power in SAO, which starts at level one, the weakest. Class is the measure of a monster's rarity, which starts at E, as common, to A, as rare. There are rumors on the internet forums of the S-class, or secret rare, monsters which dropped incredible items of priceless value. Kirito sighed silently, doubting he'd ever see one in the future.

"Give me a break," muttered Kirito with his hands at his waist. He closed his eyes and sighed once again at the unnecessary drama as Klein rolled back and forth on the ground. Kirito, Klein, and the wild animal were level 1. Any damage taken from the monster would have been minimal. Even if Klein were to be crushed by an apocalyptic meteor right now, the game's pain absorber program wouldn't let him feel anything more than a prickling sensation. "You shouldn't be feeling any pain."

Klein blinked upon the revelation and instantly calmed down. "Oh, yeah. You're right. I guess it's just a habit," he said bashfully.

"I told you, what's important is your initial movements," Kirito said, referring to SAO's «Sword Skills», which are powerful attacks programmed into the game servers. Every skill is unique, requiring its own prerequisite movements to activate and offering a mix of extra offensive power, defensive tenacity or tactical utility in a combat situation.

"Sure, I get that. But it keeps moving around," Klein whined.

Rolling his eyes slightly, Kirito replied, "You should a feel a force building up inside if you properly activate the skill. Don't resist. The system assist will guide your character avatar to execute the rest and the technique will connect."

Trying to demonstrate, Kirito picked up a rock and took an aiming stance. Energy began building up in his arms as the rock he was holding started to glow a bright red color. Allowing the system assist to take over, Kirito's arm automatically launched the rock with the force of a speeding bullet. The projectile whistled through the air, making a satisfying thump as it scored a shot on the frenzy boar, successfully grabbing its attention.

"Wow," Klein said as he stared, impressed at the display, "But, why can't I just swing my blade around with my own ability, like in real life fencing or kendo?"

"You can," answered Kirito while sidestepping to avoid the boar's trampling charge. "But those are normal attacks. Unlike «Sword Skills» which have a short pause after every time you use one, there is no pause and you can move like you would in real life therefore giving you more freedom and versatility."

"However," Kirito continued while blocking an incoming attack from the boar's sharp ivory tusks, "Normal attacks lack bonuses granted by the game server. Combinations of both «Sword Skills» and normal attacks are essential to becoming an advanced player."

Hot vapor blew out the boar's snout like steam, and its red eyes stared up at Kirito with deep anger.

"Alright. So I have to master this then no matter what!" Klein yelled with determination as he readied himself into a stance. "Initial movements. Initial movements. Initial movements," he repeated to himself almost as if it were a chant. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he figured something out. The curved blade in Klein's hand begins to glow with a solar red light.

Kirito, noticing Klein finally pieced everything together, kicked the frenzy boar away towards Klein. With its aggression now on Klein, the wild animal scratched the soft earth with its hoof in preparation for another charge. However, before the boar could even make a move, Klein unleashed a single, vicious hit, slicing through the boar, using a move known as the «Sword Skill: Reaver».

The boar bounced off the ground several times as its HP bar value depleted to zero. With its virtual life force gone, the corpse shattered into countless particles with the reverberating sound of breaking glass.

Klein just stared in silent shock, as if he just achieved the impossible. Then, joy washed all over his face and he struck a victory pose. "All right!" He roared, like a protagonist from an action film.

"Congrats," Kirito said and gave him a high five. He couldn't blame Klein for the ruckus, remembering that triumphant feeling from when he himself had slain his first monster. Though after a few seconds, Kirito couldn't help but burst his bubble. "Unfortunately, that boar's about the equivalent of slimes in other MMORPGs."

"Eh- Seriously?! I thought it was a mid-level boss or something," Klein said shocked.

"Of course not," Kirito replied. In the distance a few more frenzy boars spawned, appearing out of thin air to replace its fallen comrade. Despite their intimidating appearance, these monsters were born to be easy prey for eager learning beginners.

Klein shrugged, "That was surprising, though. It seemed so real, like an animal in the real world. Only, you know, more scary."

"Yeah, thanks to the Soul Translator, everything in this world feels, looks, smells, sounds, and even tastes real," Kirito replied.

He looked over at Klein and saw him taking different forms and stances, observing if there were other initial movements that would activate «Reaver». "This is pretty amazing, Kirito. Hey, there's a lot of other skills right? Like fishing, mining, woodcutting, tailoring, crafting, blacksmithing, cooking, farming, alchemy-"

"There's no magic," Kirito interjected. In traditional RPGs, there's always a mage that remains behind the vanguard, firing lock-on spells with perfect accuracy and precision. In SAO, only certain monsters and NPCs possessed exclusive access to spells of holy light, evil shadow, or the four natural elements. These attacks did not lock-on. It's fair and balanced that way. There are rare artifacts such as «Teleport Crystals» or «Status Ailment Cure Crystals» that drop from stronger monsters further into the game that could be considered magical, but Kirito decided he'd explain it to him on another day.

"An RPG without magic? That's a pretty bold decision," Klein said positioning himself, causing «Reaver» to go off again for the second time. There was a wide grin on his face when the glow of pure, red light that pulsated from the grey, dull, curved sword subsided. By trial and error, he had just found another way to activate the same sword skill all by himself.

_He's actually starting to look like a true warrior with all of that extra confidence,_ Kirito thought to himself.

"It's more fun to move your body as you fight though, isn't it?" Kirito asked with a smirk, already knowing the answer. It was quite obvious that Klein enjoyed the feel of a melee weapon, with or without magic.

"You bet!" replied Klein excitedly.

"Alright then. Let's hunt for the next frenzy boar."

·:·:·:·:·:·

The afternoon delivered a brilliant sunset. Its gentle rays reflected with a shimmering sparkle against the cascading waterfalls falling from distant floating islands and the orange twilight skies caused flocks of birds, winged horses and wyverns to migrate to destinations unknown. After many hours of earning Exp, Kirito and Klein decided to take refuge in a part of the meadow encircled by six stone pillars, almost like a miniature Stonehenge. This spot was a «Safe Area». Similar to towns and cities, monsters cannot normally enter due to restrictions set by the game.

"Whew," Klein breathed out and collapsed in exhaustion onto the lush, green grass. "I still can't believe it, no matter how many times I see it. That we're still in a game. It's really all amazing. Seriously, I'm glad I was born in this time."

"You make a big deal out of everything," Kirito replied jokingly, leaning against a stone pillar. _Though, I can't deny that I feel the exact same way_, he thought.

"Give me a break. It's my first Fulldive!" Klein replied, laughing.

Despite the technology being fairly new, virtual reality has taken the world by storm. Governments and well-known corporations have developed the Soul Translator for other applications, such as in the field of healthcare, where bedridden patients suffering from autoimmune diseases can still experience life like never before. In the field of education, teachers can take students on virtual field trips to the Egyptian pyramids or the Roman coliseums. There are even accusations of the military having secret dealings with Argus Industries, where scientists are attempting to turn artificial intelligence into a weapon.

"Really? This your first time using the Soul Translator?" Kirito asked.

"Yeah! Me and my friends camped in front of the store overnight to each snag one of those one-million first edition collectors copies. The line-up went down for blocks and there were SAO representatives organizing games and concerts as entertainment. It was definitely fun," Klein said with a cheerful look on his face. "But how about you? Aren't you the most lucky? I heard that beta-tester copies came with all this free stuff, like replica swords."

"I wish," Kirito said, laughing somewhat, since he didn't exactly receive any special treatment.

"How far did you get into the beta?" Klein asked curiously.

"With a few of months, we got to floor 8. This time around it'll take less than a month," Kirito answered with an optimistic grin. "With such a large number of dedicated players, it should go much more quickly this time."

"You're really into this," Klein said chuckling at the response, his tone showing mild amusement.

Drawing his sword out, Kirito admired it against the light of the setting sun. "To be honest, during the beta-test, SAO was all I thought about, all day and night. In this virtual world, a strong will and a single sword can take you anywhere you want to go. Here in this world, you can be anything you want to be. You can't help but feel so alive."

Kirito paused to take a few practice swings. His blade whistled as it cut through the empty air. "Anyways, we have 95% of the Exp needed to promote to level 2. Want to hunt some more?"

"Of course, I'd love to!" Klein exclaimed, only to have the noise of his rumbling stomach cut him off. "Ugh- But I feel really hungry. I'm logging out for a pizza delivery scheduled to arrive at my house for 5:30."

"You're so prepared," replied Kirito. _Right, that reminds me, my real body may be feverish under several layers of clothing. I should logout right now to make sure I'm not overheating. Being badly dehydrated from excessive sweating or forgetting to drink water definitely isn't a pleasant experience. Considering that I skipped lunch, early dinner wouldn't be a bad idea either._

Klein grinned at the compliment and stood up to brush the grass off his clothes. "After I've eaten, I'll be meeting some people that I know from another game. Do you want to hang out with us?"

"Um," Kirito hesitated in his response. Should he say yes? By some miracle, despite being somewhat antisocial, he managed to get along with Klein pretty well because of his easygoing personality. Despite the poor first impression of him, Klein turned out to be a nice guy. There was no guarantee his friends would be the same, however.

Klein seemed to read the hesitant reaction Kirito gave and shook his head vigorously. "Of course if you don't want to now, that's okay. I can always introduce you to them another time."

"Yeah. Sorry. And thanks," Kirito replied, silently cursing his inability to socially interact with others.

Klein reached out an arm and put it around Kirito's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey! That's my line. One day, I'll repay you for helping me out today. If there's anything you need, just send me a private message. Thank you so much, man. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Kirito replied, shaking hands with his new friend.

After the two waved farewell, they both proceeded to log out. Or that had been their intention anyways.

Putting his right index finger to his thumb and pulling downwards, Kirito opened the main menu. This swiping action activated the main menu on a holographic window with the sound of a ringing chime. There were five touch screen options: «Inventory and Equipment», «Friends and Guild», «Messenger and Chat», «Maps and Quest», and «Settings and Logout». Selecting the last option, Kirito saw an icon of gears, which enlarged into a list of other sub-menus. He searched for the most obvious «Logout» button to disconnect his mind from the game servers and return to the comforts of his bedroom. But it wasn't there...

"Huh. There's no logout button," Klein remarked in a tone of puzzlement, which confirmed that the oddity wasn't just a figment of Kirito's imagination. "Kirito! I can't find it! It's really not here!"

"Yeah. I know," Kirito said, nodding his head to affirm it. He refreshed his main menu window to double and even triple check that it wasn't some random fluke. Every time, however, the results were still the same.

"Maybe it's some kind of an error or bug. Let's contact a GM. If there's anybody who knows what's going on, it would be them," Klein offered helpfully. "It's the first day so there are bound to be some bugs."

"Yeah... Maybe," Kirito replied, somewhat worried about his real body. Game masters, or GMs, are paid employees working under SAO server administrators. Their responsibilities range from banning malicious players to dealing with any unforeseen technical difficulties. Kirito selected the «Call GM» option under the «Settings and Logout» sub-menu, but there was no live response. Eventually an automated message appeared that read, "We are currently experiencing an abnormally high volume of calls right now. Please wait for one of our customer representatives to assist you. Sorry for the inconvenience. Estimated time left: Undefined."

"No answer huh… Well without a way to logout there are probably a lot of player contacting the GMs," Klein muses calmly, while rubbing his chin. "Around about now, the GMs should be crying from the number of messages flooding in."

Kirito began to impatiently tap his foot. Players had real life expectations to live up to. Imagine all the lawsuits from people missing critical exams, medications, business meetings and family obligations. The very future of virtual reality may be crippled from an accident as bad as this. Klein may not fully understand the consequences yet, but the situation was serious. There was something else that was bothering him though. Could the genius, Kayaba Akihiko, really make a mistake as big as this?

Deciding it was useless to think about, Kirito shook his head trying to clear it of unnecessary thoughts. "Is it alright for you to stand around like that? You said you ordered a pizza."

Klein's eyes widening in panic. "Oh no! My anchovy pizza and ginger ale! There has to be another way out of this. Return! Log out! Escape! Control, alt, delete! Link end!"

Kirito sighed seeing his friend's reaction. "There's no voice command to end the game," he replied bluntly after watching him shout and make silly flailing motions. "The instruction manual doesn't mention any methods regarding emergency access terminations."

Klein pondered this for a bit before saying, "How about a more direct approach then? I'll try removing the Soul Translator directly," as his hands grasp at the open air around his head. His efforts proved to be useless as all he managed to achieve was knocking off his bandana, which slowly fell to the ground. "Oh. I was sure that would work."

"The Soul Translator prevents you from moving your real body," Kirito stated while pointing to his neck, specifically the spinal cord. "Every non-vital signal is cut off. Think of it as a safety feature that will prevent any real world accidents, such as banging your arm on a bedside table or falling down the stairs. I guess someone has to forcefully remove the Soul Translator for us. A friend or family member is bound to realize that something is wrong when we remain missing for too long."

"But… I live alone," Klein muttered dejectedly, his arms falling in defeat. "What about you?"

"Well-" Kirito paused for a moment, slightly hesitant to tell the whole truth. "My younger sister will definitely notice if I don't come down for dinner."

"What?" Klein grabbed Kirito's shoulders, looking at him with sparkling eyes. "How old is your sister?"

Giving Klein a death glare, Kirito pushed his head away with one palm and replied, "Don't you dare even think about it. She's in a sports club and hates games. She's got nothing in common with guys like us." Kirito paused then decided to inquire Klein about his earlier thoughts. "More importantly, don't you find this all weird? That the genius Kayaba Akihiko could accidentally make a mistake this big?"

"Well yeah. But, all we can really do now is sit back and wait," Klein replied.

"Yeah… What the...!"

Without any warning, a deafening noise echoed throughout the empty skies. It sounded like a giant bell, ringing in long, low notes that instigated a serious, ominous feeling.

Kirito's thoughts began to race, trying to figure out what was going on. Before he could even utter a single word, something unexpected happened. A pillar of familiar, blue light enveloped both Klein's and Kirito's bodies, its brightness forcing them both to shield their eyes with an arm. Their vision of the surrounding meadow deformed into an indistinct blur and then disappeared in one, final, brilliant flash.

The strong lights subsided and the tolling bell ceased. The two players opened their eyes and realized that they were back at the central square of the City of Beginnings. Both of them were confused, wondering what had just happened since neither of them possessed a «Teleport Crystal» for instantaneous travel.

As more players began warping in, Kirito realized it must've been a mass recall, which could only be the result of an SAO administrator's intervention. The players' reactions ranged from confusion to anger. Some even began yelling, their collective voices getting increasingly louder, demanding information regarding their missing logout button.

"Ah, above us! Look at the sky!" One voice in the crowd bellows louder than the rest.

Like everyone else, Kirito looked up to see a few holographic panels each in the shape of a crimson hexagon. Upon closer inspection, two messages in bold letters alternated between each panel: 'Warning' and 'System Announcement'. The crimson hexagons rapidly multiplied to eclipse the entire sky and a liquid resembling blood began to ooze out of it. The liquid flowed down but instead of falling all the way to the ground, morphed into a hovering, twenty-meter towering figure wearing a Game Master's sanguine robe with embroidered gold edges. A face couldn't be seen under the cloth hood, only rising black smoke like an empty shadow.

**"Players, I welcome you all to my world."**

The anonymous GM outstretched his arms in a dramatic fashion and his authoritative voice caused a unifying silence to fall upon the crowd.

_I don't understand. Is this some sort of grand opening event?_ Kirito thought to himself.

**"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person in control of this world."**

Kirito was surprised. He was used to seeing Kayaba's thin figure in a lab coat. There were a few anxious murmurs questioning if the hooded figure really was the director of Argus Industries. If he is, then shouldn't it be within his power to trivially log everyone out in the blink of an eye? If so, why isn't he doing so?

**"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu, but this is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online."**

With a white gloved hand, he opened the master main menu to reveal that the logout button is still missing. It was then that Kirito realized something was indeed very wrong. _This is all intentional._

**"No one from the outside can shut down or remove your Soul Translator. More specifically, dislocation from an outside source of electricity for more than ten minutes, being cut off from the network servers for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Soul Translator is not allowed. Should any of this be attempted, the transmitters in the Soul Translator will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."**

"What's he talking about? He's gotta be joking! Right Kirito?" asked Klein in a panic, shock and disbelief written all over his face from the evident death threat.

"He's right that transmitter signals work just like microwaves. If the safety were disabled, the buildup of thermal energy from the high-frequency heating would be more than enough to fry a brain," Kirito replied, trying to hide the fear in his voice. _This isn't a game anymore_.

**"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning and attempted to do so anyways. As a result, 1.36% of our players are gone forever, from both the virtual world and the real world,"** continued the hooded figure.

_No way,_ Kirito thought. _It has to be a lie. 13,600 people… That's nothing short of mass murder._

Kirito noticed in the corner of his eye that there was one group that was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. They attempted to exit the Central Square, but an invisible barrier blocked their escape, forcing them to listen to the rest of the speech.

Suddenly, multiple windows appeared throughout the blood-colored sky and began orbiting around the plaza. Each of them were in a different language and channeled to all kinds of news networks. All of them with similar dramatic headlines, "1,000,000 SAO Players Trapped by a Cyber Terrorist."

"The founder of Argus industries as well as the creator of the Soul Translator and Sword Art Online, Kayaba Akihiko, is believed to be at fault for trapping 1,000,000 players in his game. His demands are unknown. Investigations are underway but police officers seem to have no doubt that Kayaba is to blame," one of the many news channels broadcasted.

Kirito looked from screen to screen as he saw more families crying for their loved ones. He didn't see Sugu or his family anywhere, however. He wondered what they were doing right now. _Is this what Sugu and my aunt- No, my mother are experiencing right now?_

**"As you can see, news organizations across the globe are reporting this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume the danger of a Soul Translator being removed is now minimal. In the two hours that I have allotted, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes to receive the best possible treatment. The Soul Translator driver will also accelerate your flow of time here to be seven times faster than normal. As long as you're here, you will not have to worry about your real bodies on the other side."**

Kirito clenched his fists. _Kayaba…! You're a world-renown genius and multi-billionaire. It doesn't add up! What do you possibly have to gain from this?_

**"Remember this clearly. From this point on, this is no longer a game. This is your reality. Many changes have been made to create a world as realistic as the one you all come from. Pain absorbers are now disabled. You will feel every slash and hit as if it were your real body. There will no longer be any respawns. Once an individual is killed, there are no longer any methods to revive them. This applies to Monsters, NPCs, and the players. If your HP bar drops to zero, your character avatar will forever be lost and simultaneously, the Soul Translator will destroy your brain. You will cease to exist. There is only one means of escape, clear the game and defeat the boss on the 100th floor."**

All of the television screens disappeared and a scaled down model of their current world, Aincrad, appeared before him. An existence the size of countries- no, continents, fitting in a massive iron-and-stone castle defying space and time. Permanent death- Just how many times had Kirito died in the beta-test? Even with sheer numbers, it may be near impossible now.

**"Lastly, I've gifted a present to your item storage. Please everyone, see for yourselves."**

Kirito obediently opened up the main window and selected the first option, an icon of a character. In his inventory list is a new item called the «Hand Mirror». Kirito immediately selected the «Materialize» option. The mirror, after materializing in his hand, showed his customized character's face on its reflective surface.

Every other player seemed to have received the same object as well. Before Kirito could question why, another pillar of light enveloped him. There were shrieks and cries of surprise as more lights captured every other player in the plaza also.

"Are you okay, Kirito?" asked Klein in concern.

"Y-yeah," Kirito looked up to see an unrecognizable stranger where Klein had once stood. The person standing in front of him no longer looked like the Klein he knew, but his voice, cloth armor and even bandana belonged to the old Klein._ Is my mind playing tricks on me?_

"Who are you?" Kirito questioned.

"And who are you?" the stranger questioned back.

He looked at the hand mirror and saw that familiar, frail face, black hair, fair skin and dark eyes. It was the real face that Kirito tried so hard to escape from.

"It's me..." Kirito said, staring at his mirror in shock.

"You're Kirito?" the man with flowing hair now resembled a bandit with messy hair. Kirito could only assume that was Klein's true appearance in real life. "How?"

"Calibrations," Kirito deduced out loud, observing that the players around him have also transformed from flawless, fantasy-like characters to very ordinary-looking people. "The Soul Translator covers your entire head with a high density, signaling device, so it can figure out what your face looks like. The Soul Translator can decipher the evanescent photons in our brain, including our genetic data blueprints, which is used in calculating our real height and body shape. It was an unproven theory. Until now anyways..."

"That makes sense," Klein said while roughly scratching his head at the absurdity of it all. "ARGH- But seriously, why?!"

**"Right now, you're probably wondering: 'Why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, creator of Sword Art Online and the Soul Translator, do this? All these questions will be answered once you reach the 100th floor and clear the game. This concludes the official tutorial for the official launch of Sword Art Online. Good luck, players."**

_Was this really Kayaba? Was this really the man he had looked up to and aspired to be like?_ Kirito stood there, anger swelling up inside him for admiring Kayaba Akihiko as his role model. _This is our only reality now,_ Kirito thought, _so even in this virtual world, we can't escape our fragile mortality..._

_If I die in the game, I'll die in real life._

The ghostly, sanguine cloak melted back into a liquid and rose back into the sky. Seconds later, the crimson hexagons disappeared in the same manner that they had appeared, leaving behind a familiar, normal afternoon sky. The minstrels resumed playing their music, overpowering the silence of the speechless players. For a moment, there was silence amongst the players. No one said anything, no one even moved.

Then all order degenerated into chaos.

Countless voices began screaming, yelling, begging and cursing out in anger, sadness and despair. Many people dropped their mirrors, causing them to shatter while the ones who held them still had them disappear from their hands into blue shards of particles. The surging crowd pushed and clamored for attention, demanding to logout. It looked like the beginning of a riot.

Kirito noticed that the barrier trapping everyone in the central square was fading away. _We need to get out of here_, Kirito thought immediately. Moving quickly, he grabbed Klein's arm and shouted, "Follow me!"

After distancing themselves safely away from the chaos, Kirito turned to face Klein and bluntly revealed his plan. "Listen to me and calm down. I'm heading to the next village right now and I want you to come with me. If what he said is true, then the only way to survive in this world is by making yourself as strong as possible. The players who realize this will soon be hunting in the fields around this city. However, the monsters no longer respawn which will eventually result in a fierce competition for «Exp», «Col» and «Items». You'll be waiting here forever. The next village is empty and our training should be sufficient. I know all the paths and dangerous areas. Even at level 1, I can get us there safely."

Klein hesitated for a moment before replying, "B- But you know... I spent a whole night to buy this with my friends from another game. They're probably out there, in the plaza, just as scared as we are. I can't leave them."

Kirito looked down dejectedly. He really wanted to take Klein's friends, but wasn't sure if he could protect two or even one extra traveler. _If they die because of me, how am I supposed to live with myself?_ Kirito thought. Kirito shook his head, he couldn't.

"Sorry. I can hardly ask you for anything else, can I? So don't worry about it. Go to the next village. I used to run a guild in my last game. I can use what you taught me to get by," Klein said with admirable confidence, his hands on his waist.

Hesitating, Kirito replied, "Alright. Then let's say our goodbyes here. If something happens, send me a message." As the words leave his mouth, he felt a pang of guilt. He didn't want to abandon them but his life was on the line now. He couldn't have people dragging him down and bear the responsibility of their lives.

"Will do."

"Okay, goodbye Klein," Kirito turned and began to slowly walk away. Unlike the previous casual farewell they had almost twenty minutes ago, this one was ending on a much sadder note.

"Kirito!" Klein called out. Kirito stopped, hoping he changed his mind. _That's terrible of me,_ Kirito thought, _wanting him to choose me over his best friends._ He quickly cast out the thought.

"Hey, Kirito. You actually look pretty cool. Definitely my style," Klein said with a smile.

Kirito forced a smile before yelling, "And that unkempt face suits you ten times better. Take care of yourself!" He began to sprint away.

After several steps, he turned back one last time to see an empty street. _My only friend in this world is gone. I'm all alone._

Kirito ran away, trying to ignore the gnawing sense of guilt that threatened to take over. He stopped by a shop quickly to purchase the best equipment he could for his journey and also some potions. _Great I'm completely broke now too._ He ran outside the city gates and took the exact same routes as he did before in the beta. It would be dark soon, and there wasn't anything to light the path he was on. Kirito could be in danger if he was out alone at night. Aside from it being darker and harder to navigate, the more dangerous beasts would come out to roam the fields. He had to stay alert and focused. His mind, however, was still elsewhere, wondering how Klein and his friends were. Kirito knew that he had to start now to stay one step ahead of every other player so he could increase his own chances of surviving this death game. He knew yet…

Kirito slowed to a stop.

He had already run a considerable distance away from the town. If he wanted to make it to the next village before total nightfall, he needed to hurry. He didn't have time to stop. He looked back one more time, the guilt growing. He had only met Klein that day and no one could blame him if he was more worried for his own well-being and left them. No one could blame him yet… Could he really live with himself, abandoning his only friend in this world just so he could survive? He thought of his meeting with Klein. Klein was definitely shameless but he was by no means a bad person. Even Kirito, who usually didn't like interacting with others, enjoyed his company. They had fought together and even laughed together. He remembered the brave front Klein had tried to put on as they said their farewells. Though Klein tried to hide it, even Kirito could tell he was just as scared and confused as everyone else. Unlike Kirito, Klein knew next to nothing about the world of Aincrad. He had learned a few things from the training he received from Kirito earlier but that short time wasn't enough to learn all the basics. Despite all of that, even with his life at stake now, Klein stood unwavering, determined to find and protect his friends. Compared to that, Kirito was pathetic, caring only for his own survival.

"What am I doing?" Kirito questioned himself, "I need to get to the next town before nightfall. Moping over this won't solve anything."

Kirito began to slowly walk again. As he did, he caught a glimpse of his reflection on his sword.

"Ha… You're a sore sight for eyes aren't you Kazuto? Even in this world, you remain a coward. Even in this world, you can't keep a single friend. Pathetic." Kirito muttered to himself.

Here in this world, you can be anything you want to be. Was he not the one who said that?

Clenching his fists, Kirito let out a frustrated shout, "Damn it, Kazuto! For once in your life do something that isn't like you!"

That's right… In this world, he was no longer Kirigaya Kazuto, the antisocial gamer who would run from all of his problems. Here, he was Kirito, the Swordsman. And he wouldn't abandon his friend. With that, Kirito started at a run back towards the Town of Beginnings.

Kirito ran towards the town as fast as his AGI stat could carry him. He opened up his main menu and selected the «Messenger and Chat». He selected Klein's name and sent him a private message that read, "Klein, remember the sword shop I took you to earlier? After you gather your friends, meet me there. I'm sorry for abandoning you earlier… I'm heading back right now."

After about an hour of running, the Town of Beginnings had finally come into sight.

"Just in time, too," Kirito sighed, relieved as he heard wolves begin to howl. The sun had finally gone down and it was becoming increasingly difficult to see anything.

As Kirito approached the oak drawbridge, he started feeling unusual. His steps began to stagger and before he knew it, he fell onto the ground unable to move. Kirito checked his HP bar and status condition, which were both full and normal respectively. This puzzled him for a moment. It was then he remembered he was sick in the real world. Could this terrible, feverish sensation have something to do with his real life body?

This is bad. I can't even drag myself up, let alone make it across the drawbridge and into the «Safe Area».

Kirito opened his main menu window and selected the «Messenger and Chat» again and saw that Klein had replied with 2 unread messages. He selected Klein's name with intent to send a private text and call him back, but couldn't even muster the stamina to type out more than three letters.

_If things are this bad on the other side, I can only hope that Sugu or my aunt is rushing me to the hospital at this very moment. Otherwise, I very well may be the next casualty of this twisted death game._

Suddenly, Kirito heard the snarling of a wolf nearby. The sun had already completely left the sky and it was near pitch-black with only the moon and a few stars to light the night sky. Kirito panicked. _Is this really it? I can't move… At this rate I'll be killed._

Kirito felt the grip on his consciousness fading, but tried to resist, praying that Klein would find him or that he would somehow muster up the strength to move. And somewhere deep down, though he knew it was impossible, he also hoped his family would find a way to safely disconnect him from this twisted death game. None of these happened, however.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kirito saw a D-class monster, a «Dire Wolf» and it clearly saw him as well. Baring it's fangs and showing its glowing red eyes, the wolf began charging at the immobile body that lied before it. Kirito could do nothing as he laid there helplessly.

"AGH..!" Kirito cried out weakly in pain as the wolf bit into his arm. The pain was excruciating. Kirito recalled what Kayaba said about pain absorbers being disabled. He hadn't expected it to be this agonizing. Everything in this world seemed so real, including pain. Never in his life had he experienced anything as painful as the wolf's sharp teeth, piercing into his flesh and breaking his bones. Not even the beatings he took from his grandfather, which knocked him out unconscious a number of times back when he was forced to train in kendo, could compare to the torment he suffered right now.

Looking at the wolf, he saw blood gushing out of his arm. This was new; before it would just show blue light shining through your skin where you've been cut. Now their body was made of actual flesh and blood. Was this part of what Kayaba meant when he said the game had been changed to make it more realistic?

The wolf continued savagely ripping off his flesh as Kirito looked up at his HP bar. It was in the yellow, quickly heading to the red.

_Damn it… I don't want to die yet._

Kirito watched as his HP bar dropped into the red and began sinking even lower. His eyesight was becoming blurry and he lacked even the strength to cry out in pain anymore.

_So this is it… this is how I die, huh… Sorry Mother, Father, Sugu… I won't be able to come back home… I won't be able to apologize._

Tears of regret began to form in Kirito's eyes as he realized he'd never be able to see them again. That he'd never be able to tell them how sorry he truly was. That he'd never be able to make amends and tell them how much he really loved them. Kirito imagined all the pain this would put his family through. The thought was unbearable. He tried once more to force himself to move but to no avail. He could do nothing but accept the fact that this was the end. He was going to die.

_Sorry Klein… I wanted to help you and your friends too. I really did. I won't be able to anymore..._

With those final thoughts, Kirito stopped his struggle, lacking the strength to continue to fight his imminent death. As his senses faded, the last thing he could make out was a female figure with long, chestnut brown hair, her expression unreadable due to the darkness and his blurred vision. Was he hallucinating?

Before he could ponder any more than that, everything faded to black…


	2. Chapter 2: New Experience

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sword Art Online. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction, would I?

**Edit:** Thank you Render795 for correcting me on the logic of the cake scene. I rarely bake anything myself so I hadn't thought about it much. So yeah, guys... Don't put frosting on your cake before baking it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: New Experience<strong>

* * *

><p>It was pitch black as far as the eye could see. As Kirito looked around he could see nothing but a light fog underneath his feet. There was an eerie kind of silence that seemed to fill the place. <em>Is this what happens after a person dies? Is this the afterlife?<em>

Kirito immediately disliked this place. Something about it made his skin crawl. He felt alone in this desolate space which seemed to be void of all life. No, that wasn't quite right. Though Kirito couldn't see it, he was sure there was something there, watching him. Whether it was alive or not, he couldn't tell. He didn't know what led him to think that, but he was sure of it all the same. It was a presence that couldn't be felt with the normal senses. An intangible, almost ghostly, presence.

"Who's there?" Kirito questioned, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

He was answered with an empty silence. Kirito could still feel it, the strange presence still resided there somewhere in the surrounding shadows and hadn't gone away. It was almost as if the presence was the darkness itself. Suddenly, the floor beneath him disappeared. Kirito shouted in surprise as he fell into an eternal abyss of darkness.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Kirito bolted up, heavily breathing as he tried to remember how to perform basic actions like moving and thinking. What had just happened? After calming down a bit, he laid back down on the soft cushion of the bed as he tried to sort out his thoughts. _Wait… Bed?_

Once again, Kirito bolted upright. _Where am I?_ He wondered as his memories from the previous day came flooding back. Taking a look at his surroundings, Kirito spotted an oil lamp, the bed which he had been laying on, one small table with a candle lit on top and a matching oak chair beside it. There was a single window in the room that allowed a dim light to brighten his surroundings. Judging by the brightness, Kirito assumed it was around mid-afternoon. Looking out the window, he noticed a potions shop he had once passed and was able to confirm he was again in the Town of Beginnings.

_So, I'm still alive._ Kirito's eyes lit up a bit as he came to the realization. His mind quickly filled with a multitude of other questions such as how he had gotten there and what happened.

Kirito's thoughts were cut short as the door to his room was opened and a familiar figure wearing a cloak walked through the door.

"Oh? So you're finally awake, Ki-bou," the figure said in an unconcerned tone.

"Glad to see you worried about me so much. It's been awhile, Argo-san," replied Kirito sarcastically.

Argo the Rat. She was a nimble-looking character with curly brown, auburn hair. Her most distinguishable feature had to be the 3 drawn whisker marks on both sides of her cheek. She was an information broker of sorts and one of Kirito's few friends in the beta. If there was something you needed to know, she'd be the person to go to. With her near photographic memory, Argo could give you any piece of information you wanted. For a price, of course. If she didn't know something, she could find out; if she didn't know it, chances were no one did.

"Heh, how'd you know it was me?" replied Argo with a grin.

"Those whiskers, that nickname, and your impassive way of speaking. Who else could it be?" Kirito replied playfully.

"Well you got me. You're more perceptive than I thought, Ki-bou."

"It wasn't that hard. Anyone who knew you personally could have guessed it. Now I have a question, how were you able to tell who I was? You shouldn't be able to view information like my Name or Level unless I allow you to."

"Hm… I'll tell you for 500 Col," Argo said smirking.

_Of course that part of her never change__s._

"I think I'll pass. If I paid you every time you piqued my curiosity, I'd be left with no Col and in debt," said Kirito with a sigh, giving up on getting any information from the acquisitive dealer.

"Then I guess I can't tell you," teased Argo.

Remembering his situation, Kirito asked, "How long was I out?"

"15 days. Honestly wasn't sure if you were going to wake up," replied Argo, with some actual concern in her voice this time. "What happened to you? There were no negative statuses on you, but it sure took you awhile to recover."

Kirito was taken aback. 15 days? That was over 2 weeks! _So much for getting ahead of every other player…_

Kirito explained to Argo about his body in the real world and told her he believed that was the reason why he suddenly collapsed and couldn't move.

"I see… That makes sense. Your body must've been in pretty bad condition in the real world then. How do you feel now?" Argo asked.

"Like crap," Kirito replied in exasperation, "I'm honestly worried. I was out cold for 15 days, no matter how bad a cold it is, that isn't normal."

"Kayaba did say time here was accelerated times seven. If that's true, your body was only out for about 2 days in the real world. By now, you should be in a hospital and the fact you're awake must mean your condition has at least somewhat stabilized. You should be fine now, Ki-bou," Argo stated with a reassuring smile.

"That's true… Well I doubt I'll be able to fight or even move properly with my body being this weak. I wanted to get a head start, too," Kirito complained.

Argo laughed at his predicament. "Well, get better soon. It's a pain for me as well to watch over you, you know."

"Sorry. And thanks," Kirito replied, feeling a bit guilty, "How much did this inn cost you by the way? I'll make sure to pay you back."

"It's not me you should be repaying," replied Argo honestly.

"Aren't you the one who bought me this room?" Kirito asked puzzled.

"If I were, I'd definitely make you pay me back tenfold, not including interest," Argo answered with a cynical smile.

"Haha that's a joke right?" Kirito asked with a forced smile, hoping even Argo couldn't be that heartless towards a sick person.

"Eh? When do I ever joke about things like that?" Argo replied with a straight face.

Kirito sighed in relief, _Thank God she wasn't the one who rented this room for me then. _He was still dead broke after spending all his money on equipment and potions. "Well, if it wasn't you who should I be giving my thanks to?" questioned Kirito. Just then, before Argo could answer, the door opened and another cloaked figure entered the room. The figure wore a hood, making it difficult to see the person's face. However, Kirito did catch a glimpse of brown, chestnut-colored hair.

_Wait… Chestnu__t__ colored hair? Could this be her? _Kirito thought as he recalled his last memories before falling into a state of unconsciousness. He had seen a female figure with hair colored exactly the same.

"Speaking of the devil," said Argo.

"You're awake," said the cloaked figure in a monotone voice.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm clock sounded, forcing the girl asleep in the bed beside it to wake up and shut it off. Giving a quiet yawn, Asuna Yuuki got out of bed and prepared for the coming school day.

After she finished washing up, Asuna stood in front of the mirror with a smile. "Alright, I'm ready to go," Asuna said, satisfied with her appearance. Asuna left her room and departed down the curved stairway. As she descended, a maid of the house stood there ready to greet her. "Good morning, miss, breakfast has been prepared for you in the dining room," stated the maid with a bow.

"Good morning, Sada. Thank you for all your hard work, as always. I'll head there right now," Asuna said with a smile.

Entering the dining room, Asuna saw only her mother, Kyouko Yuuki. Both her father and her only brother were on a business trip overseas. They often had to go on trips far away from home for work. They were usually gone for weeks and occasionally, even months.

"Good morning, mother."

"You're up late today, Asuna," Kyouko stated nonchalantly. "I've already finished eating breakfast. It seems that you stayed up late last night studying. How do you feel?"

"Yes, I did. I feel fine," Asuna replied while taking a seat.

With seemingly nothing else to say, silence filled the room. It was Asuna who finally decided to speak up again, breaking the silence. "By the way mother, I placed first in the previous district mock exam and they will announce the midterm rankings next week. I've studied thoroughly so I'm confident in my scores," said Asuna excitedly, "If you score within the top ten, then you don't have to worry about the official test. You only need an A to pass."

Kyouko gave a sigh. "You. Why are you getting so excited about a high school mid-term exam? You're brother graduated top of his class, scoring at the top of your class on the mid-term is a given. The most important exam is the college entrance exam. You should hurry and consider which colleges you'll be applying to," Kyouko said clearly unimpressed.

"Yes, mother…" Asuna said, her voice changing from a cheerful tone into one of dejection.

"I expect you to attend the same school as Kouichirou. Traditional colleges are the better choice," Kyouko continued.

Kouichirou Yuuki. He was Asuna's older brother and she looked up to him. He was a kind brother and always the top of his class. Asuna aspired to be just like him.

"Yes mother," Asuna repeated, "I have also improved on my Math and English."

Asuna waited a moment to see if her mother would say anything else. Seeing that she seemed to be finished, sipping a cup of tea and reading the newspaper, Asuna gave thanks for the food. "Itadakimasu," she said, as she began to eat.

·:·:·:·:·:·

It was early in the morning. Asuna sat at her desk. She had some time to spare before classes officially started so she was reading a book from one of her favorite authors.

"Yuuki-senpai!"

Asuna looked up from the book she was reading. "Ah, good morning, Hina-chan," said Asuna.

Hina was one of Asuna's friends from her school. She was always cheerful and one of those happy-go-lucky type of girls.

"Good morning, Yuuki-senpai," Hina said cheerfully with a smile, "I heard senpai ranked first in the mock exam. Congratulations! I'm jealous."

"Thank you," Asuna replied with a smile, "Work hard and I'm sure you'll be able to do the same, too."

"Well, I'll do my best," replied Hina, "By the way, senpai, have you heard about Sword Art Online?"

"Sword Art Online? What's that?" asked Asuna confused.

Hina nearly face-palmed. "You really don't know? It's been all over the news for the past few months now."

Asuna shook her head.

Hina sighed, "You really are clueless about these things aren't you?"

"Sorry," Asuna apologized sheepishly, "I've been busy studying and haven't had time to keep up with the recent things going on in the world."

"Sword Art Online is the first virtual, reality video game using new advanced Fulldive technology. It'll be released to the public soon. They say the game sends stimuli directly to your brain. It's supposed to be super realistic. Some even say it's as real as the world we live in. I really want to try it," Hina told Asuna, obviously excited about it.

"Oh? As realistic as this world? I wonder if that's really true. I'm surprised they already have technology capable of doing that," replied Asuna.

"Right? Isn't it amazing? They say the technology is way ahead of its time!" continued Hina, "If possible, senpai, would you want to get the game and play it together?"

"No," Asuna said flatly, "Sorry Hina, I don't have the time. I need to study to make sure I can keep my grades up and prepare for exams."

"Awhh," Hina pouted, "Exams should be a piece of cake for senpai."

"Of course not," Asuna replied, lightly flicking Hina's forehead causing her to whimper, "I'm not special, the only reason I do so well is because I spend more time and effort studying than anyone else. That's not to say there aren't others working hard, too. That's why I need to keep my guard up otherwise I may lose my place as top of the class."

"Ehh? So, I guess it's really not possible for Yuuki-senpai to play after all," Hina stated, understanding Asuna's position.

"It goes without saying that playing a game is the same as wasting life," continued Asuna, "The college entrance exam is not the end, okay? If you play games all day like a child, you'll never catch up to those people in the traditional colleges. Next year you'll be taking the exams too. It's about time you graduate from those things."

"Understood!" shouted Hina in determination, "As expected from my senpai. I shall work hard!"

"Good girl," Asuna patted her head with a smile. "Class should be starting any minute now. You should head back to yours or you'll be la-"

Just then the school bells rung, signaling the start of class.

"Ah! Tomoyo-sensei is going to kill me!" Hina cried out in fear as she grabbed her bag and proceeded to run out of the classroom. She stopped at the door and yelled out, "I'll talk to you later, Yuuki-senpai!" Then continued to run down the hall.

Asuna smiled and waved. She was a good girl, though young and a bit naive.

_I say all of that but even I want a break sometimes… _Asuna shook her head, dismissing the thought. _I'll just have to continue working hard. I'm not going to accomplish anything if I do nothing._

In the distance, Asuna could hear Hina being scolded by a teacher for being late and running in the halls.

_Hang in there, Hina-chan._ Asuna thought to herself as she got ready to start class.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna gave a sigh as she plopped herself down on her bed. It was another tiring day today and she still had to finish up some homework and study.

Asuna went into the bathroom to prepare the bath. Bathing was one of the few things that Asuna did where she could relax and forget about her worries. The warm water surrounding her and touching her skin gave her great comfort. Asuna took off her clothes and entered the bath.

"Ah… This feels nice," stated Asuna with a content smile.

Tomorrow was a Friday but there would be no school that day because of a board meeting. Asuna was tempted to just relax the next day and forget about her worries for a bit.

_A game, huh…_ Asuna thought to herself. She almost never allowed herself any free-time to enjoy herself. She was always studying and working. It was beginning to tire her out. The only video games she had ever played were a few apps she had on her phone and that was just during the train rides to and from school when she had nothing else to do.

_Maybe a break once in a while wouldn't be so bad._ Asuna shook herself trying to clear her head of such thoughts. _No, I have to work hard. Otherwise how can I get into a good college? I can't afford to slack off. Mother is expecting __me to do better__, I can't disappoint her._

With that, Asuna got out of the bath and dried herself. She moved to her desk where she proceeded to study for the rest of the day. After a few hours of studying, however, she finally passed out on her desk, exhausted mentally.

A few minutes later, the silhouette of a man walked into the room. Seeing her asleep on her desk, he smiled, "You work yourself too hard, Asuna." Picking her up, the man laid her down on her bed and tucked her bed sheets in. "You should take a break from time to time. Always studying isn't good for your health you know. You need to rest and enjoy yourself sometimes. Knowing you, I bet you probably already forgot what day tomorrow is, too." The man chuckled to himself a bit a bit, "Well I'll see you tomorrow in the morning. Get a good night's rest, Asuna." The man proceeded to walk out the door leaving Asuna alone in her room to sleep.

·:·:·:·:·:·

The next morning, Asuna awoke in a panic. It was 8 am and school was about to start soon! _Why didn't the alarm ring?! _Asuna thought to herself. Then, she remembered that there was no school today. Feeling relieved, Asuna looked around and saw the mess left on her desk. _I must've fallen asleep, _she thought. Asuna took extra care to always keep her room nice and tidy. She couldn't remember when she fell asleep but realized she must have otherwise the mess on her desk would've been cleaned.

Asuna wondered who had carried her to her bed. She assumed that it was probably Sada who had done it and decided she would ask and thank her later.

Asuna gave a yawn and groggily got out of her bed. There was a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. Suddenly, her stomach growled. Though no one was around, she blushed, embarrassed.

"I should eat breakfast. I'll finish getting ready after," she said to herself. Asuna walked outside her room and down the stairs.

_Odd._ She thought. Sada would normally come to greet her by now. _She's probably busy preparing the breakfast or something._

Asuna walked heavy-eyed into the dining room, "Good morning, brother. Wait… brother!?" Suddenly Asuna was no longer tired but rather quite awake and surprised.

"Oh? You're finally awake, Asuna," her older brother replied with a smile.

"W-wait why are you home? Weren't you on a business trip? Where have mom and Sada gone? Welcome back!" Asuna asked cheerfully. She was happy that her brother had finally returned, as the smile planted on her face clearly showed.

"Woah, woah, calm down there. One thing at a time," Kouichirou replied laughing. "Mom and Sada have gone out shopping. As to why I'm home, surely you haven't forgotten what today is, have you?"

"Eh? September 30, 2022 right?" Asuna said puzzled. _Was there something important on this day that I forgot? Wait isn't today…!_

Seeing Asuna's face change from puzzlement to one of realization, Kouichirou smiled, knowing she must have finally remembered.

Asuna was shocked for a moment. "Did you come all the way back home just for that...?" Asuna questioned, still surprised.

"Of course, how could I miss my precious, little sister's special day?" Koichirou said, still smiling.

Asuna ran up to hug her older brother, "Thank you, brother!" Asuna cried out in happiness.

"Happy birthday, Asuna."

The two siblings continued to talk and catch up with each other since both of them hadn't seen each other in some time. "Oh wait I almost forgot," Kouichirou said, apparently remembering something, "Hold on, I'll be right back."

He walked into the kitchen. Asuna tilted her head to the side slightly, wondering what her older brother was doing in the kitchen. Kouichirou walked back into the dining room, holding a cake. It was a little messy, but it looked delicious nonetheless. The cake was covered with plain white frosting, nothing too fancy. On the cake read "Happy Birthday Asuna!" in red lettered frosting.

_So that's what smelled __so good__,_ Asuna thought.

"I made it myself. I followed the recipe in the book, but it didn't quite turn out looking the same as in the book," Kouichirou said sheepishly, "We can go buy one from the store if you don't like it."

Asuna shook her head. "No, thank you. It means a lot to me that you'd do all that work just for me," Asuna said happily.

Just then, the two siblings heard the front door open.

"Is that father coming?" Asuna asked hopefully.

"Actually Asuna," Kouichirou started with a saddened expression, "Father-"

"Asuna, you should understand your father is a very busy man," Kyouko interrupted, walking into the room.

"Sorry Asuna, father couldn't make it," said Kouichirou sadly.

Asuna looked down, disappointed. She really missed her father and wished he could be here for this day. "Although he may not have been able to come, he sent this in the mail," her mother continued as she pulled out a stuffed animal and handed it to her.

"You're 15 now, I don't think your father realizes that his daughter's growing up," said Kyouko.

Asuna smiled brightly, "It's fine, I love it. I still wish he could be here but he got this for me even though he's busy. Father took his time buying it, so I'll make sure to treasure it!"

Asuna received a new hairbrush from Sada and a necklace from her mother.

"Thank you so much, both of you," Asuna said joyfully.

"And lastly, Koichirou, what did you get her?" their mother asked.

"Erm…" Koichirou scratched the back of his head nervously, "Sorry Asuna, I just got here last night and I didn't have time to grab a gift on the way."

Asuna shook her head and said with a reassuring smile, "It's fine, you don't have to be sorry. I'm just glad you came all the way here just to celebrate my birthday."

"But I really should get you something! I have to leave for my flight in about an hour though, so I won't have time to go shopping…" Koichirou said.

"Wait, you have to leave so soon? Can't you stay a bit longer?" Asuna said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Asuna. I really do need to go. Coming back here in time for your birthday was the best I could do. I can't stay very long," Koichirou replied with a frown.

"I… I understand. Well thank you for coming brother and do your best working," Asuna replied with a forced smile, still wishing he could stay longer.

"Wait. Before I go, I just thought of something!" Koichirou said excitedly.

"What is it?" Asuna questioned.

"Have you heard of that new Fulldive game coming out in a little over a month? The virtual gaming world called Sword Art Online?" Koichirou asked.

"Yes, what about it?" she said in a puzzled expression.

"Well, it just so happens I spent a lot of money to pre-order a copy and it should be arriving in the mail soon," Koichirou said.

_Huh? Why would brother buy a video game? He's a busy man. _Asuna thought to herself a bit puzzled.

"However, I won't be here when the game is released," he continued, "Would Asuna play it in my place? I think it would be a good experience for you. You need to take a break once in awhile."

"Eh? You want me to play a game?" Asuna questioned, surprised, "Why would I bother myself with such a waste of time? I have studying to do."

Koichirou gave a sigh, "You were always like this. You need to loosen up and relax sometimes, you know."

"If I may, I don't disagree with him, miss. Though studies are important, it's bad to overwork yourself," Sada agreed.

Asuna stared at the both of them, perplexed. "I don't know…" She looked over at her mother who was silent this whole time.

"Just take it as a birthday present from me. Sadly, I don't have anything else I can give you at the moment," Koichirou replied, "If you choose not to use it, I won't force you. But your older brother's giving it to you. What you decide to do is entirely up to you."

"I'll think about it," Asuna replied hesitantly. She still wasn't sure she should waste time like that.

"Alright, I do hope you'll accept my gift to you," stated Koichirou, "Well I must be going now. Take care of yourself Asuna, mother. Sada, please continue to watch after them for me."

The three of them nodded and said their farewells back.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna stood in the bullet train that was bustling with people. It was uncomfortable, being trapped in that small confined space with so many people. She had just gotten back from shopping for a few items since it was a Sunday and there was no work from school to be done. It had been a little over a month since they took the midterms. As always, Asuna managed to score top of her class causing her to be the envy of all her classmates.

She looked up and decided to watch the television to see what was on.

"On today's MMO stream, we'll be covering the worldwide renowned game, Sword Art Online, or SAO for short. SAO was created by Kayaba Akihiko..."

_Sword Art Online again? _Asuna thought to herself. _That's all everyone's been talking about lately._

"With only a million copies of SAO, the game was sold out instantly! As you saw earlier, if you're looking to get a copy last minute, you won't have much luck…"

_A million copies already sold out? Didn't they just begin selling the game in stores today? That's crazy! Just how much do people want to play this game? _Asuna thought about it and wondered how much her brother probably paid to pre-order a copy.

"The SAO servers will be opened at 1 PM today; so gamers, get ready to game!"

Asuna sighed in relief as she heard her stop being announced. She got out of the crowded train and started walking home.

As soon as she got home, she went straight to her bedroom. She saw the Soul Translator helmet resting nearby her bed and looked at it for a moment.

_I guess it couldn't hurt to use it just for a little bit. Brother paid a lot for this after all and he's giving it to me._

Looking at the clock, Asuna saw that it was 12:56 PM. Only 4 minutes until the servers opened. She didn't know much about games, but figured that meant that 1 PM was when she could enter the game. Browsing through the instruction manual for the Soul Translator, Asuna learned how to use the basic functions like powering it on and starting the game. She inserted the Sword Art Online game into the helmet and put the helmet onto her head. Using the small digital clock that was inside the helmet, Asuna saw it was 12:59:30. Just 30 more seconds until the game started.

Asuna tried to recall what she just read in the instruction manual. The digital clock read 1 PM. "So to start the game I have to say… Link start?"

Suddenly, there was a flash of colors. Asuna was surprised as she found herself standing with a holographic keyboard in front of her, prompting her to enter a username then password. Using the keyboard, she entered in her first name and a password. The next step was to design her character. After pondering it for a bit, she decided it would be weird walking in a body that wasn't hers and made her character similar in appearance to her real-world self. With a satisfied nod, Asuna completed the character design prompting a message to appear in front of her reading, "Welcome to Sword Art Online!"

In another flash of colors, she found herself in the world of Aincrad.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna stared in awe. She was beginning to understand what all the hype was about. The world around them was beautiful. It looked like one of the worlds she could only read about in fantasy books. A world you could only enter in dreams. And the best part was that it all felt so real. No dream could compare to this. She took a deep breath of the refreshing air and touched her characters hands, unable to feel anything fake about it at all. It felt just like a real hand would. There was nothing that would even slightly show that this was a virtual world. She couldn't believe that modern technology could create a world so perfect.

Asuna ran around the town joyfully as she looked at the various buildings and structures. There were minstrels playing music, shops, fountains, and even a few wandering, stray animals. Asuna ran up to a dog she saw and pet it.

"Awh aren't you a cute thing," Asuna said with a smile, "Are you lost? Do you have a home?" The dog, noticing its owner, ran after her and started barking, running around in circles happily.

"Is that your dog?" Asuna asked.

"Yes, he is. He's quite the energetic one," the woman replied with a laugh.

"Indeed, and he's just so cute. I'm a bit envious," Asuna said, returned the laugh.

The woman had some errands to run and returned to them with the dog following. Asuna continued looking around like a child, amazed at everything. She caught the scent of a delicious aroma in the air. Deciding to follow the smell, she entered a bakery.

She saw many different pastries and asked the man selling them how much everything was excitedly. The man smiled and told her the prices of each and every one. Asuna asked for one of each and was about to get her money to pay. Suddenly, Asuna looked down dejectedly as she realized she didn't know if she had any money. As she looked down, she finally noticed a small bag that had been attached to her belt the entire time. Opening it, she saw what looked to be coins.

"Hey would this be enough to pay for everything?" Asuna asked eagerly.

The man looked into the bag and began counting the money, "Hm... well it isn't enough to buy one of everything," the man said, "But I'll throw in the rest of it on the house. You almost had enough, anyways," he finished with a smile.

Asuna thanked the man with beaming gratitude and began tasting each of the pastries she had bought. They were all delicious. Asuna was overjoyed knowing she could eat as many pastries as she wanted without gaining weight in her real life body. Asuna thanked the man once more, before leaving the shop and going out to explore more of the town.

She came across a clothes store and saw an outfit she wanted to try on but realized she was now penniless.

"Hm… I wonder how someone is supposed to get more money in this game," Asuna said to herself.

Deciding it would be best to ask someone, Asuna walked up to the first person she saw.

"Excuse me," Asuna said, looking terribly embarrassed and confused. The girl that stood before her turned around and looked at Asuna in question.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm new to this game and thought you looked like you knew what you were doing," Asuna continued bashfully.

The girl said with a smirk, "Well you've come to the right person if you're looking for info. Argo's the name. And yours?"

"Ah, Yuuki. Yuuki Asuna." Asuna replied.

Argo nearly face-palmed. _Did this girl really just give her real life name?_

Argo shook her head, "No, your in-game name. You really shouldn't give your real info here in the virtual world. Who knows what creeps may try to stalk you? You see, I'm an information dealer of sorts and I sell and make use of any information I can get. That would include your real name, which you just told me. However, I'll take pity on a newbie and keep what you just said confidential. Just be careful not to tell anyone else."

"I see, thank you for the advice," Asuna nodded in understanding, "I'll be more careful from now on."

"Alright, let's try that again. I'm Argo. And you are?" Argo asked once again.

"Asuna," Asuna replied.

"...Didn't I just say not to use your real name? What's your in-game name? You know your username?" Argo replied barely holding in the urge to face-palm.

Asuna scratched her head, giving a nervous laugh, "That is my in-game name."

Argo couldn't stop herself this time and face-palmed.

Argo sighed, "Okay, Asuna-chan, what'cha need?"

"Umm…" Asuna replied hesitantly, "Well I have a lot of questions. I don't know how most of the things in this world work."

"I did mention I'm an information dealer right?" replied Argo, "If you want to know something, it'll cost ya. My info doesn't come cheap, either. I'm not completely heartless, though and since you're a noob, I'll give you a large discount."

"Ah, about that. One of my questions was how do you earn money?" asked Asuna.

"You can't be serious," Argo said, but one look at Asuna's blank face was all it took to get an answer.

Argo sighed again, "I'll tell you for 1 Col. That should be cheap enough, right?"

"I can't really pay even that much," replied Asuna sheepishly, "The reason I was asking was because I have no money on me."

"Every character should start off with 500 Col. That bag on your belt there, it should be filled with some coins," Argo stated, pointing to her bag. "It's put there by default. You're able to move the bag to your character's inventory at any time."

"Oh, about that…" Asuna opened her bag to reveal it was empty.

"...The game started 10 minutes ago. As far as I can tell, you don't have any new equipment or even a weapon. What could you have possibly spent all 500 Col on?" Argo asked in a deadpan manner.

"Pastries?" Asuna replied with a nervous smile.

"...Have you ever played a game before?" Argo asked in disbelief.

"Of course I have!" Asuna replied somewhat defensively. "I've played plenty of games on my smartphone. I especially like the one where you have to slide your finger across the screen to cut vegetables. It was called Vegetable Ninja, I believe..."

Argo sighed, realizing this girl was a complete and utter noob. "Look, I don't make a habit of giving out free information, but you're a complete noob and if I just left you alone like this you'd probably take weeks to even obtain a basic sword. This game is called Sword Art Online, right? You use swords to fight here. There are enemies that you must defeat and by doing so, you can complete quests that will give you money. Quests will give you money and you gain EXP from training and killing monsters. The more EXP you have, the stronger you'll become. Does that make sense?"

Asuna nodded, "So I have to learn how to actually wield a sword then?"

"Yes. But you don't need to be an expert at it just yet. I do recommend you practice since you'll have to learn later. For now, just using sword skills should be enough to get by," replied Argo.

"Sword skills? What are those?" asked Asuna as she tried to make sense of the lengthy explanation.

"For crying out loud, did you even read the manual?" Argo said exasperated.

"There was a manual?" Asuna asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Argo lost it.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna gave a shout as she used the one-handed rapier sword skill known as «Sword Skill: Linear» to attack the frenzy boar. It was a basic sword skill that could be performed with a rapier. Argo, taking pity on Asuna, had bought it for her. Asuna was allowed to choose whatever weapon she wanted and found the rapier to be to her liking.

Turning around, Asuna saw the boar getting ready to charge at her again. Asuna got ready to strike as she used «Linear» to attack the boar again. Giving out a cry, the boar's hp depleted to 0 and the boar fell to the ground, bursting into shards of blue light.

Asuna turned to Argo and shouted out joyfully, "Argo, I did it! I beat my first monster!"

Argo was shocked for a moment. Was that really the speed of someone who had never played a single video game in her life? _She's almost as fast as me, _Argo thought to herself.

"Congratulations. Your movements were a bit sloppy, but your speed was incredible. Are you sure you're new to this?" Argo asked.

"Positive."

"Guess you're just a natural. Keep training like that and you'll become one of the strongest in no time," Argo said truthfully.

"Oh, I don't have time to play this game much. I need to focus on my studies. I have to admit it was a nice experience though," Asuna said with a smile. _Maybe… Just maybe taking a break and playing this from time to time wouldn't be so bad._

"I see. Well, if you ever need help, feel free to call me. Info won't be coming free from me anymore, though," Argo said smugly. Argo did a swiping motion with her hand and sent Asuna a friend request.

After accepting it, Asuna asked, "So, how do I leave the game?"

"...You're kidding right? I know you're new to this and all but you entered the game without knowing how to logout?" Argo asked, expressionless.

"Kinda…" Asuna said averting her eyes in embarrassment.

"You just need to open your main menu like this," Argo said while putting her right thumb and index finger together and pulling downwards.

Asuna mimicked the movement and was surprised when a window popped up. "Woah, Argo something just popped up!" Asuna said amazed as she played with it a little, closing then opening it once again.

By this point, Argo was used to the fact that Asuna knew nothing about the game and didn't bother making a comment on her not knowing how to open the menu.

"After that, select the «Settings and Logout» button. Then you just press…" Argo paused, "Huh? It isn't here."

"What isn't there?" Asuna questioned.

"The logout button…" Argo continued.

"What?" Asuna asked a bit panicked, "How am I supposed to get out, then?"

"Wait let me contact a GM to see what's going on," Argo replied.

Asuna was planning to ask what a GM was but decided it would be best to keep her mouth shut, seeing the serious expression on Argo's face.

"Ugh, no use. The GMs are getting too many calls, it won't put me through. Players are probably calling for the same reason we are," Argo deduced.

"So we have no choice than to just wait then?" Asuna asked.

"I suppose so. In the meantime how about we- Whoa, what is this?"

"A-Argo, what's happening?"

A blue light had enveloped both of them and in a sudden flash, they were both transported back to the Town of Beginnings.

**"Players, I welcome you all to my world."**

·:·:·:·:·:·

The ghostly, sanguine cloak melted back into a liquid and rose back into the sky. Seconds later, the crimson hexagons disappeared in the same manner that they had appeared, leaving behind a familiar, normal afternoon sky. The minstrels began playing their music again and there was a silence among the crowd.

Asuna looked into her mirror. Though her game character had looked similar to her, there were still slight differences. But now, her face was exactly how it was in the real world. Just what was happening?

Suddenly, a girl screamed in the distance, dropping her mirror. That was all it took for all order to degenerate into chaos.

The crowd was in a panic and everyone was shouting, yelling, and screaming.

"H-hey… Argo… this is all part of the game right? Just part of the storyline… It's not real, right?" Asuna asked.

"No… Everything he said was true. The soul translator could essentially fry your brain. This never happened in the beta and there is no way to log out. Either this is one sick joke," Argo paused hesitating, "Or we really are trapped in a death game."

"That can't be…!" Asuna said. This was too much for Asuna to bear.

"Asuna, we need to get out of here. It may become dangerous soon. We most likely won't be attacked in a «Safe Area», but Kayaba said there were many changes to make this world as realistic as possible. There's no telling what might've been changed just now, so we have to be careful," Argo said, "Safe areas may no longer be safe and if the people are already this out of control, there's no telling what they might do."

"Y-yeah… Right…" Asuna replied weakly as she started swaying, unable to walk stand straight.

"Hey, Asuna, get a hold of yourself. Asuna? Asuna!" Argo ran over to catch Asuna as she fell to the ground.

"The mental shock must've been too much for her. I need to get her out of here," Argo said, worried.

With that, Argo carried Asuna and ran as far away from the crowd as she could.

**Author's Note:** So what do you guys think of this chapter? Liked it? Hated it? Leave a review! Too many characters falling unconscious maybe? I don't plan to make them do that much more in the future if that helps at all. Still open to any suggestions. If any of you catches a mistake, please let me know. Almost no Kirito this chapter -insert sad face- I figured since Kirito took the spotlight in the first chapter though, Asuna should get more screen time.

So do you guys think Asuna was too much of a noob in this chapter? I was trying to get the point across that she had 0 experience at gaming. Worry not, though, she'll become strong in the future. Almost as strong as Kirito. Maybe even stronger… or not, who knows. Guess you'll just have to see!

Also, someone suggested that I do a Eugeo and Yuuki shipping. I'm considering it since I don't think that'd be a bad idea but I'd like to hear the thoughts of the viewers, too.

Anyways let me know what you guys think in the reviews or feel free to message me too!


	3. Chapter 3: Accepting Reality

**Author's Note:** First off, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. I'm honestly surprised; I didn't expect to have this much support and feedback after just 2 chapters. You wouldn't know how much motivation it gives you to continue until you begin writing a story yourself. The feedback from you guys really helps a lot. Also, special thanks to wiseguy227, Render795, and TreeBindingDeath for pointing out mistakes I had in the story, allowing me to fix them. I'm glad some of you seem to be enjoying the story so far! As always, if you have any suggestions or notice a mistake, please let me know.

I'd like to reply to some of the things I saw in the reviews. I do plan to keep Kirito and Asuna together from the beginning so for anyone who was hoping for that, worry no more. I'll also try to give Argo and Klein a larger role and I'll be sure to eventually finish this story. From the reviews and messages I've gotten so far, it seems the majority of my readers seem to be interested in the Eugeo and Yuuki ship. I'm still not sure whether I should add some romance between the two, but if I do I'll try to make sure it doesn't get in the way of the story and flows smoothly. For those who are less thrilled about the ship, I hope it won't affect your enjoyment of the story too much. I've started a poll to take a final count and see what you guys think. Should I eventually make those two a couple? You guys get to decide.

I'd also like to address those who feel the story follows too closely to the canon. I appreciate the criticism and I will admit that Chapter 1 follows very closely to the canon, only diverging from it at the very end. Chapter 1 was just to introduce the world and characters as if it were an original story, and not a fanfiction. The world does also slightly differ from the original SAO and I thought it would be good to note the differences through an introductory chapter, rather than start somewhere midway and explain the new changes to the world later. I can promise you that after Chapter 1, things will greatly diverge from the original. I don't want to spoil too much of what I have planned so I'll just say one distinction that would make the story significantly different. Asuna and Kirito meet and stick together from the get-go. That itself should be enough to change some events, no? As for there being too many players, I may reduce the number back later. My reasoning for making it so much in the first place was to reduce Kirito's OPness to some degree (I mean, the guy literally just stood there against a group of red players and beat them without moving a muscle until the end). More people means more competition. Another reason was just because I felt 10,000 to be somewhat of a small number when you consider that in the year 2022, we're estimated to have almost 8 billion people in the world. And with a game like this, who'd want to pass up the chance? (Before they found out it was a death game.) This is an international game, 10 million people would only be 0.0125% of the world's population! Not to mention, as of 2015, World of Warcraft has over 10 million subscriptions. Looking at it from that view, 1 million still seems small in comparison, especially for a game as revolutionary as this. Not only will gamers play, but everyone from businessmen looking to invest in the Soul Translator to scientists who want to learn more about the technology could play the game. Maybe I'm just overthinking it? What are your opinions as a reader?

Anyways enough with the long Author's Note already, onward with the story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters. If I did, Kirito would be less overpowered.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Accepting Reality<strong>

* * *

><p>Asuna bolted upright in her bed. Breathing heavily, she looked at her surroundings. She was in her own bedroom in the real world. <em>It was a dream,<em> Asuna thought, _It was all a dream!_ She ran out of bed and down the stairs. _I knew it, games were a bad idea. They would only waste my precious time and lead to disaster._ Asuna saw her mother at the table eating breakfast.

"Mother!" Asuna shouted happily. She was relieved to be in the real world, in her house.

"Asuna, I heard you decided to use the game Koichirou gave you," her mother said.

"What? Mother, what are you talking about?" Asuna asked nervously.

"What an idiotic thing to do, Asuna," her mother said blankly.

"Mother, I don't know what-"

Suddenly the world around her started spinning. It showed Hina talking to a crowd of her friends.

"Hina…!" Asuna shouted out, "Please, help me! I don't know what's going on!" Asuna tried to touch her but went straight through her.

"H-Hina…?" Asuna asked desperately.

"It's true, Asuna said it so coldly too," Hina said, talking to her friends, "'Gaming is a waste of life' she said! But now look at her! She's totally addicted."

"No… T-that isn't.." Asuna stuttered trying to say something.

"So much for getting into a traditional college. She's last on the rankings now!" Hina continued as her friends laughed at the former honor student.

"N-no.. that can't be..!" Asuna looked up at the rankings posted on the wall. In first place was the name of someone she didn't know. "What? Well maybe second place? What about third?" Losing her mind, she ran through the list looking for her name. Finally, arriving at the bottom of the list, Asuna stared in despair. Her greatest fear had been realized. She fell onto her knees, reading and rereading to be sure there hadn't been some kind of mistake. Just as Hina said, the name "Yuuki, Asuna," was written in last place.

The world continued to spin and the scene changed once again. Asuna saw herself with the Soul Translator on her head, lying on a hospital bed and unconscious in a coma-like state. Her mother stood next to her, staring at her daughter in disappointment.

"A game? Really a game?" her mother said, "Aren't you ashamed to call yourself a human being? Because you made such a foolish decision, this is the result."

"N-no... It's not true!" Asuna said while grabbing her head, unable to accept the reality.

I-I too… I too want to go back!" Asuna cried out in anguish.

Asuna's world began to spin even more, making her sick. Suddenly, she was in Aincrad again. Before her was a towering figure wearing a sanguine cloak, the one who started all of this, Kayaba Akihiko.

"**There is only one way you can be released. You must beat the game."**

Suddenly, the cloaked giant reached a hand out, attempting to grab Asuna. Asuna tried to run, but it was useless. The hand grabbed her, crushing her slowly.

"Somebody… Somebody help me!" Asuna cried out. However, there was no one there to help her. The world slowly shifted to pitch black. It was dark and the place was void of all colors. Asuna curled up into a ball and began crying.

"Why? Why did I play that stupid game? Why do I have to be trapped in here…?" she questioned, broken and in despair.

"Mom… I want to come back home…" she continued weeping, alone in the darkness, "Somebody please… Help me…"

"-na!"

_What? Who is that?_

"Asuna!"

_Who's calling my name?_

"Asuna, wake up! Snap out of it!"

Slowly, the world around her shook. The darkness slowly receded as she opened her eyes. Argo was shaking her body. They were on the streets nearby one of the city's gates that lead outside to a vast field where monsters roamed. _So I'm still here._

"Ah, finally you're awake," Argo said relieved, "Don't worry me like that. Come on, we need to go."

"Where are we going?" Asuna asked in a depressed voice.

Argo hesitated a moment, "I'm not exactly sure. But sitting around won't solve anything. We need to do something. First we should see how the situation is in the town and try to gather some information. We'll need to be more careful and start focusing on training ourselves. The stakes of losing in a battle are much higher now, we need to get stronger."

"What's the point? We're all going to be trapped here until we die anyways."

"What are you talking about?" Argo questioned.

"Just trying to defeat those boars, I nearly got killed. Didn't you tell me those were the weakest monsters in the game? We have 100 floors to clear, each one more difficult than the next. Do you really think anyone stands a chance?" Asuna continued.

She wasn't wrong. Things did seem pretty hopeless. In the beta, even the strongest, most skilled players died a number of times on the first floor. Each new floor was considerably harder than the next. There was no telling how difficult all 100 floors would be. Would they really make it?

"We're stuck here, trapped. We'll all eventually die in this world, it's only a matter of when and how. This is our reality now," Asuna continued.

Argo shook her head. She couldn't allow herself to get depressed over this. If they lost hope, everything was over. Argo stared at Asuna. She just sat there, mentally exhausted and reluctant to move.

With a sigh, Argo said, "You stay here. I'm going to go see what I can find out about all this. I'll be back soon. We won't die. We're going to clear this game alright?"

Asuna replied with silence. Argo handed Asuna a cloak to conceal herself and ran off back towards the center of the town.

Asuna just sat there, doing nothing. This was a change. For once in her life, instead of constantly overworking herself to the point of exhaustion and thinking about her studies, she just sat there, motionless with her mind blank. What was the point of anything anymore? Her life was over as far as she was concerned.

She heard footsteps of someone running in the distance. Asuna recalled what Argo said, it might be dangerous to be around people when they were this panicked.

Suddenly, the footsteps slowed and finally just stopped. It sounded like the person collapsed.

_I wonder if they're okay. _she thought, slightly concerned.

Asuna got up slowly walking towards the gate where she had heard the footsteps. There was the sound of a wolf nearby, growling. Hearing the sound, the sheltered girl was terrified. She continued towards the gate cautiously. Even if they were in a «Safe Area», Argo had said to be careful regardless.

Suddenly, Asuna heard the sound of a boy shouting in agony and a loud crunching as if bones were being broken. She ran over to the sound and saw a wolf biting into the arm of a boy who was no older than she was. She was shocked for a moment, seeing real blood coming from his arm instead of the usual blue light. Her shocked expression quickly vanished and turned into fear and worry. The boy was lying on the ground seemingly unable to move. He looked up at her for a moment before falling into a state of complete unconsciousness.

Asuna backed up, scared. What could she possibly do against a wolf? She could sense the killing intent coming from it and could tell by the boy's earlier scream that the pain he felt was agonizing.

The wolf shot Asuna a glare with its glowing red eyes, as if warning her not to interfere.

It was impossible. She couldn't do anything to help him. Asuna stood there, shaking. She was scared out of her mind. It took all the courage in her not to run away right then and there. Yet, despite how scared she was, she couldn't abandon the boy. She wouldn't be able to live with herself. But what could Asuna do? She looked down and saw her rapier on her side.

That's right... she could fight. Argo had spent all that time teaching her. Asuna took out her sword and pointed it at the wolf. She couldn't back out now. She could tell just by looking that the wolf was much stronger than any of the monsters she had faced so far. _All I have to do is hit the wolf with a surprise attack and drag the boy back into the «Safe Area»._

Asuna's mustered up all her courage. "If I'm going to die here anyways, there's no point in delaying the inevitable," Asuna started as she aimed at one of the wolf's legs and prepared to strike, "At the very least, I will save this boy!"

She activated the 1-handed rapier sword skill, «Linear». The attack hit one of the wolf's limbs, causing it to cry out in pain and jump backwards.

_It hit…! _Asuna had no time for relief. As quickly as she could, Asuna grabbed the boy and dragged him back into the «Safe Area». The wolf glared daggers at the girl who interrupted its meal. With a fearsome growl, it charged after them. Even with an injured leg, it was still extremely fast.

Asuna had just barely moved into the «Safe Area» in time when the wolf was about to reach her. However, without stopping from its sprint, the wolf suddenly jumped. Asuna's eyes widened in horror as she saw the wolf had breached through the «Safe Area» and was flying directly towards her. The wolf crashed into her, causing her to fall backwards. Not wasting a moment, the wolf simultaneously bit deep into Asuna's left shoulder. "Agh!" she screamed in anguish. Just the pain alone nearly caused her to fall unconscious like the boy beside her. _We're already in the «Safe Area». How did it get me?_

With no time to think about it, Asuna swung her rapier wildly at the wolf, managing to slice into its side and getting it off.

"Ugh," Asuna forced herself up onto her knees, barely able to move due to the pain. She had completely lost the mobility in her left arm from the wolf's bite. How was she supposed to beat this thing?

The wolf charged at her immediately, not giving her a moment to rest. _This is it, it's all or nothing._

Asuna gave a shout as she activated the sword skill «Linear» once again. Even if she herself was too weak to move her body, the system assist should be enough to move for her. Or so she hoped.

Her rapier started glowing as it moved forward in a stabbing motion. The wolf opened its jaws wide, preparing to take another chunk of flesh from Asuna. However, she was faster. The rapier stabbed through the wolf's mouth, straight through its head. The wolfs body stopped moving, immobile and limp. Asuna pulled out her sword, waiting for the wolf to shatter into shards of blue light. However, it never did. She worried at first that it was still alive but realized it was probably part of what Kayaba meant when he said that changes to the game were made to make it more realistic.

Asuna dragged the boy away from the city gates and near the area where Argo had told her to stay. She was exhausted, mentally and physically. That one battle took a lot out of her. It was then that she noticed her wound along with the boy's was still dripping blood and that she was still losing hp. She panicked slightly.

_If I stop the blood, we'll probably stop losing HP. T__his is supposed to be just like the real world, I should be able to stop the bl__ee__ding by wrapping some kind of bandage around it._

Asuna had no such item, however. Using her sword, she cut off part of the cloak Argo had given her and tied it around the boy's arm.

_Alright the bleeding stopped. Now I just have to take care of my wound._

After stopping her own bleeding, Asuna sat next to the boy. Completely worn out and having no energy to do anything else, she fell into a deep sleep.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna was awoken by the voice of Argo, who was shouting into her ear.

"Asu- Oh, you're finally up. You sure knock out a lot ya know," Argo said.

"Oh, you're back, Argo," Asuna stated wearily.

"Yup, more importantly what've you been doing? Cuddling with this cute lad here? Who is he?" Argo asked with a smirk.

It was then Asuna noticed how close she was to the boy, leaning on him almost as if he were a resting cushion.

"I-It's not what you think!" Asuna shouted, blushing, "I was just exhausted and happened to fall asleep by him."

"Right, I completely believe you," Argo teased in a sarcastic tone.

Asuna quickly scooted away from the boy, causing him to fall sideways onto the ground. "That aside, are both of you okay?" Argo asked with concern, "I noticed the both of you were injured."

"I'm not sure. I saved him from a wolf that was attacking him but he hasn't woken up since. We're both alive now though at the least. There's something I have to tell you though Argo," replied Asuna.

Asuna explained how real blood came out of bodies now and that if you don't stop the bleeding somehow, you'll continue to slowly lose hp. She also told Argo about the safe zone no longer being safe.

"I see… So, that's the situation," Argo said, perplexed, "Well if that's the case, this makes things difficult. Now there won't be any places in dungeons where we can sit and rest, assured that we don't have to worry about being attacked. Any fatal wounds will be the end of us, too."

"Heh, so basically our lives are forfeit. Or do you still think we can beat this game?" Asuna asked.

Argo remained silent.

"In any case, it's not safe here," Argo finally said, "We should rent a room at an inn or something. Do you have enough Col?"

"Yeah, just about. I can rent a room for a couple of days," replied Asuna.

"Alright. So what are you going to do with the boy?" Argo questioned.

"I saved him, I'll take responsibility. He can stay in my room until he recovers," Asuna replied nonchalantly.

"Aren't ya worried about having a guy sleep in a room with you? Most inns in this town only have one bed per room. The ones that don't are typically expensive. You could rent two rooms, but I doubt you could afford that right now."

"It's fine, he's unconscious anyways. He isn't in any condition to try anything. I'll be fine sleeping on a chair or something. If there isn't one, I'll just sleep on the floor. Everything in this world is fake anyways, just electric signals being sent to our brain right? Comfort doesn't mean anything to me."

"You sure you don't want me to take care of him? I have more Col than you do, so I could get two rooms without a problem," replied Argo.

"I'm sure, if I gave him to you, you'd probably make him pay back everything with interest, right?" Asuna replied.

Argo laughed, "It's only been a day but you know me so well."

"Anyways, it's late. We should get going, Argo," Asuna said, staring up at the night sky.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Argo gave a sigh. It had been 5 days since everyone was trapped in this death game and almost no progress had been made.

Aincrad had changed drastically from the beta. Safe areas were no longer safe. When you were injured, you'd bleed instead of seeing the usual blue light that would shine from your body. As long as you were bleeding, you would gradually lose HP. Aside from all of this, monsters no longer respawned. Their corpses just lied there, dead after you've killed them. They could still drop loot like in the beta if they were killed. However, other items that were a part of their physical composition would have to be taken manually, such as the tusks of a boar used for crafting. You would have to loot the monster manually, taking from it whatever you desired or just leaving the entire thing there to rot. Asuna and Argo once saw a female boar as it was pregnant. Monsters no longer "respawned". However, they could mate and have offspring. Just like real life, this was the only way for new life to enter the world.

Food was now a necessity in Aincrad, instead of being used just for enjoyment. If you didn't eat, you would eventually begin to slowly lose hp. Just as Kayaba said, Aincrad was now eerily similar to the real world.

One thing that had been bothering Argo for some time now were the NPCs. Something was off about them. It's not like they behaved oddly, rather quite the opposite. They acted just like any normal human being would. They were too realistic. In the beta, the NPCs had many set responses and would reply accordingly depending on what the player said. However, it was different now. The NPCs seemed to have their own personalities. Their speech no longer seemed like generic computer generated responses but like real people talking. They had their own families and responsibilities. They even had health bars; they were no longer immortal. They had their own life. Is it really possible all of these advanced personalities were created by a supercomputer?

Argo took a look around the town. Everyone was in downed spirits. It was a depressing sight. Not many had left the town, Argo couldn't blame them either. The risk of the death penalty alone would've likely kept many players from even daring to leave the town. As if that wasn't a big enough fear, getting hit and receiving injuries would inflict real pain. Pain that most of these people have never felt before. These people were gamers, not fighters. No one was ready for this. Argo wondered how all her friends were doing and if they held out any better than the rest of the people who just stayed in the town.

_I've been able to contact all my friends from the beta except for one. Where are ya, Ki-bou… _Argo brooded,_ Knowing him, he probably ran off and tried to get a head start on everyone. I'm kinda worried about that idiot._

_He was one of my main sources of income. Who else am I supposed to sell overpriced info to?_She thought. Though deep down, she knew she was genuinely worried for her friend.

In the distance, Argo could see a man with red hair, wearing a bandana. He seemed to be talking to people, asking them something. Argo knew a chance to sell or obtain information when she saw one. She walked up to the red-haired man.

"Argo's the name. You look like you need help with something," Argo said to the man.

The stranger turned to look at her. "A-Ah, yes! I was looking for a friend. My name's Klein. Age 22, single and currently looking for a girlfriend would you be intere- Wait!" cried out Klein as he saw Argo had already turned around to leave.

"What?" Argo said turning around. "I'm not interested in some desperate, perverted weirdo," Argo said flatly.

Klein's face had a look of shock that quickly turned into depression. He curled up in a ball and started muttering the words "desperate, perverted, weirdo" almost as if it were a chant. It was a miserable sight.

Taking pity on the man, Argo slapped his back, "Hey, I was just kidding. Anyways, you said you were looking for a friend?"

"Oh, yeah," Klein said, snapping out of his depressed state.

"So who might you be looking for? Maybe I can help. You see, I'm an information dealer. I can find out anything you might need to know. For a price of course," Argo said smirking.

"If you can really help me out, then I don't mind paying. At the start of this game I had a friend who helped me out a lot. We parted ways though and he went out of the town by himself. I got a message from him later on to meet at this one shop we stopped by earlier. He never showed up, though! Worried, I sent him a few messages but he never replied. I've been looking for him since," Klein stated.

"Klein… You do know your friend very well could possibly be-"

"He's not dead," Klein interrupted. "He was a beta tester and definitely stronger than any of those monsters out there. So he has to be alive. I know he is," Klein finished with confidence.

"I see," Argo said, still in doubt. "What's your friend's name?" she inquired.

"Kirito. He's not the most talkative fellow but he really is a nice guy," Klein replied.

Argo's eyes widened a bit, "Wait, you know Ki-bou?"

"Ki-bou? You mean Kirito? Yeah, he taught me the basics of this game. Why? Do you know him?" questioned Klein.

"Yeah, he was my friend in the beta. I'm actually looking for him, too. So you said he sent you a message to meet at a shop, what shop exactly?"

·:·:·:·:·:·

Argo sighed in irritation. Klein told Argo everything he knew. Though they searched together near the shop and asked the people if they knew anyone matching the description Klein gave, no one had even seen Kirito. After a few hours of searching, they still weren't able find their friend.

"Agh where could you have possibly gone to Kirito," Klein complained.

"He did have a tendency to play solo a lot, even in the beta," Argo said.

Just then Argo received a message from Asuna that read, "Hey Argo, are you ready to go out to do the usual hunting yet?"

Sending a reply, Argo typed in, "Yeah, give me a sec. I'll see ya in a bit."

"Hey Klein, my friend and I are going to the field outside of town to hunt a few boars. I have to get going. Message me if you find out anything about Ki-bou," Argo said, turning back to Klein. She then proceeded to send him a friend request.

"Oh, alright will do," Klein replied, while accepting the friend request. _Wait__…__ Friend request? This __is the first time a girl has ever sent me a friend request! Is she trying to hint something? Could she be into me? Do I have a chance? _Klein thought to himself intently as he tried to keep his cool and stop himself from squealing in excitement.

As Klein pondered these thoughts, Argo turned to leave. "Wait, hold on actually!" Klein suddenly shouted out.

"Hm?" Argo gave Klein a questioning look.

"Well, erm… isn't it dangerous for a lady such as yourself to go outside this town alone?" Klein said, obviously trying to make an excuse to come along.

"I won't be alone," Argo pointed out, "I'm going with a friend."

"B-but still! A guy can't help but worry in these circumstances," Klein urged.

Argo sighed. _He's a weirdo for sure. Desperate, too. But he doesn't seem like a bad person… I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring him along._

"Fine, fine I get it. You can come. Just don't get in the way," Argo replied with a smirk.

"Hey I'm going to be a master samurai you know! The name Klein will be known and feared by everyone!" Klein ranted.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get going Mr. 'Master Samurai'," Argo mocked, causing Klein to become even more flustered.

·:·:·:·:·:·

"Uwahh!" Klein cried out in surprise as he laid his eyes upon Asuna. She was a beauty more rare than even the most precious of metals. There already weren't many girls that played online games to begin with. Finding one as beautiful as her was a miracle in itself.

Klein stood there for a moment just staring, too awestruck to say anything else. "Oi, Klein. Are you lagging?" Argo said waving her hand in front of his face. She said it as a joke though. Lagging in games had become virtually impossible since 2020 when scientists made a breakthrough in internet technology, revolutionizing the online network. This was the only reason a game as intensive and fast-paced as Sword Art Online could be played without a problem.

Regaining his wits, Klein ran up to the girl to introduce himself, "I-I-I'm Klein, Age 22, single and currently looking for a girl-" Klein was interrupted by an elbow to the gut from Argo.

"Hey, Asuna," Argo replied with a slight wave.

"H-hey. Who might this be?" Asuna asked, slightly startled by Klein's abrupt introduction.

"Some weirdo I picked off the street. He wanted to tag along, so I let him," Argo replied.

"Hey don't introduce me as a weirdo! First impressions are important, you know!" Klein said.

"You already ruined your first impression yourself. She would've realized the weirdo part without my saying," Argo replied nonchalantly.

Klein muttered some things under his breath but couldn't come up with a good argument, so left it at that.

"Well I guess we should get started. Let's see if you can keep up, Klein," Argo said provokingly as she ran towards the nearest monster.

"Hey, wait for me!" Klein shouted as he ran after Argo with Asuna close in pursuit.

·:·:·:·:·:·

"Ah! That was a good workout," exclaimed Klein. The trio had finished their training routine and had just made it back into the town.

"I'm surprised. You managed to hold your own in a fight better than I thought you would Klein," Argo mused, "I guess Ki-bou must've been a good teacher."

"Of course he was! Though, no matter how good the teacher, if I wasn't exceptionally talented, I wouldn't be as good as I am now," Klein stated with pride.

Argo just rolled her eyes as a response. What he said wasn't a lie though; Klein was a natural at this. Perhaps not as good as Asuna was, but that speed of hers was something not many people had. Though she was still a total novice, she was nearly as fast as even the most experienced players.

Asuna had remained silent nearly the entire time during the training and also hadn't spoken a word on their way back.

_I really do wish you would cheer up already, _Argo thought to herself.

After selling the items from their hunting and saying their farewells to Klein, Asuna and Argo headed back to the inn. As they walked, however, they heard footsteps following behind them.

"Why are you still following us, Klein?" Argo questioned turning around.

"Aw, I was sure you wouldn't notice me," Klein said puzzled, walking out of his hiding place.

"There's a reason they call me 'The Rat'. My hiding and sensing skills are top-notch," Argo said with a confident smirk.

"I just wanted to make sure the two of you made it back to your inns safely. There's rumors going around about a group of players who are attacking innocent people at night. 'Orange Players'," Klein finally answered.

In the beta, attacking and stealing from other players was allowed. However, if a player were to do that, their cursor would change from the normal bright green to an orange. If they went as far as to murder the player, their cursor would turn into a dark red. Ever since Kayaba had officially started this death game, the rules had changed. Players no longer had cursors above their head that showed whether someone was a green, orange, or red player. This made things dangerous; someone could be conversing with a red player and not even know it.

Argo sighed, "Fine. But as soon as we get to our inn rooms, you're leaving. Got that?"

"O-of course! I was planning to from the start," Klein said, slightly flustered.

The duo made their way back to their rooms with Klein following.

"I'll be going in first. Goodnight both of you," Asuna said tiredly as she opened the door to her room.

"Hey Klein, you can leave now," Argo said in annoyance noticing Klein was still there.

Klein stood there, not paying attention to a word of what Argo had said. His gaze was drawn into Asuna's bedroom.

"Hey you pervert, what are you doing looking into a girl's room?" Argo said, her patience waning.

Just as Argo was about to elbow him again, he shouted pointing "W-Wait! Argo look! In Asuna's room. It's Kirito!"

Argo looked from Klein, then to the location Klein's finger pointed at in the room. "Huh?" Argo finally got out, her brain still processing what Klein had just said.

·:·:·:·:·:·

"So that's how Kirito ended up here," Klein said after Argo explained how they had found the boy who they now knew was Kirito.

Klein suddenly dropped to the ground, bowing to Asuna, "Thank you for saving him. If you hadn't been there he might have really died. So, thank you!"

"I-it's fine really. I only did what I felt was right," Asuna said, a bit taken aback.

"Who knew though, so Ki-bou was right under my nose the entire time," Argo mused, feeling some relief knowing he was at the least alive.

"Do you know what's wrong with him or why he hasn't woken up yet?" Klein questioned.

"I'd hate to admit it but even I'm clueless on that one," Argo stated, "There aren't any negative statuses or anything, there's no reason he should be like this."

"I see," Klein replied, pondering something. "Alright!" Klein shouted out. The two girls stared at him, wondering why he yelled all of a sudden.

"I've stayed in this town long enough," Klein continued, "I wanted to make sure Kirito was alive and well before I left. Now that I know that, I can put my mind at ease."

"You're planning to go?" Asuna questioned.

"You've both seen the town's current state, it's a total mess. The people have given up all hope of living. I can't stand seeing them like that. That's why I want to change things; I want to show them that we do have a chance at getting back to our own world!" Klein said in determination.

"You shouldn't. Anyone who tries to leave the town will probably die," Asuna said expressionless.

"Even so, that's exactly why I need to go. Everyone's afraid of dying in this death game. Right now, what everyone needs the most is hope. I can't just sit by and expect someone else to do something about it. We don't know how many people have left the town so far, so I may not be the only one out there. There must surely be others, and if we work together then we can definitely succeed," Klein said with resolve.

"Then I'm guessing I can't stop you," Asuna replied almost sadly, then after a short pause continued, "If you do go, at the least try not to get yourself killed."

"Yeah, be careful Klein," Argo added, "Whatever you do, make sure you come back alive, ya hear?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Klein said with a smile, "I'm going to be a master samurai you know. And I also have my friends with me, we won't fail. We'll all make it back alive."

They said their farewells as Klein exited the room. The next morning, he and his friends departed from the town.

·:·:·:·:·:·

Asuna gave a loud sigh. She hadn't been able to get one night of comfortable sleep since entering this world. As she sat on the rocking chair every night, she would always remember her family and end up crying herself to sleep. She would never tell anyone this though, not even Argo. She missed her family dearly; they were always on her mind. At night, when she was finally able to fall asleep, she would have happy dreams about when she was still in the real world with them. However, the dreams never lasted long. Eventually, those pleasant dreams always turned into nightmares; nightmares where she had to relive being trapped in the death game. These nightmares haunted her night after night, causing her to wake up with her heart racing. Even in sleep, she couldn't escape this cruel reality.

The boy who she had saved was still unconscious and laying in her bed. Maybe it was rude to continue calling him "the boy". Asuna had learned that the boy was actually a friend of Argo and Klein and that his name was Kirito. It had been 15 days since she found him, yet he still remained unconscious. Asuna was worried that he may never recover.

"What's with the loud sigh?" Argo asked concerned. They were out in the fields, having their normal hunting session to obtain Col.

"Just tired," Asuna replied in a weary voice, "I wonder if he'll wake up soon."

"We can only hope he will," Argo replied as she used her wrist blades to slice through a boar, causing its remaining hp to deplete to 0.

"Alright, we reached our goal for the day," said Asuna, satisfied, "If we sell the drops we got today, we should have enough money to pay for another night at the inn. Let's head back."

"Alright," Argo agreed while putting away her blades as the two of them headed back to the Town of Beginnings.

"I'll go find a merchant to sell our drops to. You should go check up on Kirito," said Asuna.

"Okay, be careful. The streets still aren't safe. There are many players who wouldn't hesitate to rob you of your belongings," replied Argo.

"Don't worry, I will." Asuna nodded.

Asuna headed to the nearest merchant she could find and sold the drops. As always, the town seemed to have a gloomy atmosphere. She saw two men fighting in the distance about something trivial. Other people had already began to gather, expecting a physical fight to break loose soon. There were a large amount of homeless players on the streets. Many of them were too scared to go outside the town and as a result, lacked the money to rent an inn. They seemed so lifeless, as if they were just sitting there waiting to die.

Asuna thought back to what Klein had said. The current state of everyone in this town couldn't even be called living. She didn't like this atmosphere, either. But what could they do? This whole scenario was hopeless. Only the crazy and reckless would leave the town to fight against this world.

Tired of seeing the depressing atmosphere, Asuna turned back to their inn. At least there she could lock herself away in solitude, away from this twisted world. As she neared the door, she heard Argo talking to someone.

_Did Argo have a guest over? Why would they be talking in my room?_

Asuna walked into the room. Had she not been so used to hiding her emotions by now, her eyes would have surely widened in surprise. There was Kirito, finally awake and sitting up.

"Speak of the devil," said Argo as Asuna walked into the room.

"You're awake," Asuna stated in a monotone, staring at the boy who had finally awakened from his prolonged sleep.

**Author's Note Continued:** Yeah so not much Kirito in this chapter either… Rather all he did was get moved around while unconscious. On the bright side, the chapters to come pretty much center around him for those of you hoping he'd get more attention! I'll try to update soon so that anyone who actually happens to like this story won't have to wait too long. As always, any feedback would be appreciated! Leave a review or a message telling me what you guys think!


	4. Chapter 4: Duel

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sword Art Online. If I did, I wouldn't be placing this disclaimer on every single chapter.

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the late update guys! Life's been keeping me busy lately and I haven't had much time to work on the story. Figured I've kept you guys waiting long enough, so I did some quick proofreading and decided to post this up! Sorry if there are mistakes or if it isn't top-notch quality. I didn't have a chance to thoroughly read everything. Now time for the story!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Duel<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're awake," said the cloaked figure in a monotone.<p>

"Ah, yes, I am," Kirito replied hesitantly. He was never good at talking to girls. Or people in general.

"You must be the one who saved me earlier. Thank you, I'll make sure to pay you back for the inn. Keeping me here for 15 days and nights must have cost you a fortune," Kirito said.

"Don't mention it. Everything in this game is false and meaningless anyways, I just need enough Col to survive," replied the figure, "Besides anyone would've done the same. I just happened to be the one there."

"I don't know about that, risking your life for someone you just met and then even taking care of them until they recovered isn't something just anyone would do, Asuna," Argo interjected.

Kirito nodded his head in agreement and stated with a small smile, "Yeah, I owe you one."

Asuna remained silent at this. No one spoke for a moment. Kirito, realizing he hadn't properly introduced himself yet, broke the silence and said, "So your name is Asuna? I'm Kirito, it's nice to meet you."

Asuna hesitated a moment then took off her hood and said, "My name is Asuna. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Kirito blinked once, then twice. He stared at her for a moment, unable to take his eyes off the girl. Never before in his life had he ever seen someone who he thought was so attractive. She was beautiful. Asuna began to avert her gaze uncomfortably.

"Hey, Ki-bou. I understand you're lovestruck and all but I think that's enough staring," Argo teased.

"O-oh yeah sorry," Kirito apologized, "And I am not lovestruck!" he said, blushing furiously in denial.

_Well that was the worst first impression ever,_ Kirito thought to himself. He could only hope that Asuna hadn't already made him out to be some kind of pervert.

There was no way a girl this beautiful existed in the real world. Even if she did, why would she be here? Surely someone as beautiful as her was popular in the real world and would be living the fulfilling high school life Kazuto could only read about in Manga. A girl like this wouldn't be playing a video game. In that case there was only one explanation. "S-so, Asuna. I was wondering, how did you manage to keep your in-game avatar? If possible I was hoping I could switch back to mine as well," Kirito asked, attempting to break the ice.

Argo visibly face-palmed, "Really, Ki-bou?"

"What?" Kirito asked, confused, "That can't really be how she looks in the real world, that flawless face and model body, no one looks that perfect, right?"

It was faint, but there was a slight trace of a blush coming from Asuna. One look at Argo's blank face was all it took to get an answer. It was as if she was telling him "What kind of an idiot are you? Of course that's her real life appearance!"

"T-Then…" Kirito said, looking back at Asuna who still had her eyes averted. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to come off as a pervert," Kirito exclaimed, bowing his head.

Asuna responded with a dead silence, causing Kirito to feel even more uncomfortable. _Officially the worst first impression ever, _thought Kirito despairingly.

Kirito normally didn't like talking to people. Rather, it wouldn't be exaggerating to say he avoided any type of communication at all costs. But something about this situation, this silence, was making him feel even more uncomfortable than he could bear. At another attempt to break the ice, Kirito asked, "So, I've been asleep for 15 days right? How much progress has been made towards clearing the game? With this many people I assume we're at least close to clearing the first floor, if that hasn't been done already."

There was a gloomy silence. _Damn it Kazuto, what did you do this time? No one's saying anything... Why can't you communicate with people like a normal person? Asuna and Argo probably think you're a total weirdo now._

Finally breaking the silence, Asuna spoke up. "Clearing the game?" she scoffed, "Do you really think that's possible?"

"What?" Kirito asked, "Of course I do. Surely there have been some higher-leveled players who've cleared a floor by now."

"Nobody has found the first floor boss yet. In fact, almost no one even dares to venture out of these walls. Not that it's much safer in this town, anyways," Asuna said in a cold monotone.

"You're kidding me…" Kirito said in disbelief.

"She's telling the truth, Ki-bou. People are too scared of the pain and no one wants to risk the death penalty," Argo added on. She explained everything that's happened while Kirito was unconscious and how the game had changed dramatically from the one they once knew. This was no longer a game. This was their reality.

"I see…" he said, unable to come up with a better response. The situation did seem pretty hopeless, even from his perspective.

"Most people have already given up the will to do anything, and for the better, if you ask me. It means everyone will keep their lives a bit longer," Asuna stated, "They've either accepted reality or denied it. Those who've accepted reality realize their fate is to die here in this world eventually. Those who haven't still hope on getting help from the real world. And the most insane and desperate even jump off the edge of the cities, adding to the death toll of this death game," Asuna stated sorrowfully, her eyes cold and empty.

"By the way, Klein told me to give you a message when you woke up," Argo said.

"What? You know Klein? How's he doing?" Kirito asked, hoping for some news on the red-head.

"He's fine. He and his friends are probably out somewhere a few towns away by now. They're all pretty skilled so I wouldn't worry about them too much. He said he sent you a few messages, you should check your inbox," Argo replied.

Kirito obeyed and opened up his inbox. "T-Two hundred eighty-seven unread messages?! I know he must have been worried and all but isn't this a little too much?" Kirito said, shocked and somewhat amazed.

"...That's what Klein calls a few messages?" Argo said dumbfounded.

Skimming through the messages, Kirito was able to deduce that Klein had been looking for Kirito for some time before coming into contact with Argo and Asuna and finding out his location.

"He says to make sure you don't do anything reckless, and that if you needed anything at all to message him," Argo continued after Kirito had finished reading the messages.

Kirito gave a slight chuckle, _That's just like Klein, always worrying about the safety of others even when his life is at the same risk. _"Well guess I better get going and catch up to them," Kirito said as he forced himself out of bed. "Thanks for everything Asuna. I promise I'll pay you back for this someday," Kirito said. He slowly moved his body out of bed and attempted to stand. Kirito struggled on his feet and almost ended up falling over.

_Dang it, I guess my body is still in no condition to move._ Kirito willed his body to stay up as he tried to leave the room.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" Asuna questioned.

"I told Klein I would meet up with him and his friends but ended up collapsing earlier. I intend to keep my word though and meet them at whatever town they've gotten to now," Kirito replied, struggling to stay on his feet.

"In that condition, you aren't going anywhere," Asuna said in a strict tone, standing in his way.

Kirito opened his mouth to object when Argo said, "Ki-bou, she's right. You're in no condition to fight. Look at you, you're struggling just to move. Even if by some miracle you did make it to them alive, you'd just be a burden until you've recovered."

Kirito looked down dejectedly. They were right. Though he wanted to do something, there was nothing he could do in that condition.

"Rest until you fully recover. These are the orders of the person who saved your life," Asuna said to Kirito.

Kirito gave a sigh. Asuna was the one who risked her life to save him. She didn't have to and it was only because of her that he was still alive. He owed her his life and shouldn't be acting recklessly. Giving in, Kirito sat back down on the bed, "Fine, fine I get it. I'll rest up a bit longer until I recover. Until then, I'll be in your care, Asuna," he said with a smile.

·:·:·:·:·:·

About 20 minutes had passed since Kirito had finally woken up. Argo had some errands to do so it was just Asuna and Kirito in the room. Neither said a word to the other, creating an awkward atmosphere. Kirito tried to think of a topic to talk about but could come up with nothing.

Suddenly, a loud growling sound came from his stomach causing him to become flustered.

Asuna looked like she had to hold in a laugh. "Did you want to get something to eat, Kirito?" Asuna asked, showing a small smile. She immediately stopped herself. For the first time since Kayaba had announced this death game, she had finally smiled, no matter how small it was. _Everything in this world is fake, _she reminded herself, _the sounds coming from his stomach included._

"A-ah no, I'm fine! I don't have any Col on me anyways," Kirito waved his hands, trying to hide how embarrassed he was.

"Don't lie," Asuna replied, "You haven't eaten in 15 days. There's no way you wouldn't be starving by now."

Kirito turned his head, avoiding eye contact and not giving a response. With a sigh, Asuna continued, "Anyways, Argo said this changed from the beta but you now lose HP if you don't eat. If you don't eat anything it could eventually be a problem. We've been keeping you alive until now by having you drink HP potions every other day."

If he was being honest, Kirito had to admit he was starving. "I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer then. Sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"You don't have to apologize, it's no trouble at all. I'm the one that insisted you stay in the first place," Asuna said nonchalantly.

Asuna had put her cloak back on and the two of them walked out of the inn, though for Kirito it was more like limping than walking. Kirito took a breath, savoring the fresh air that he hadn't been able to breathe while he was unconscious in the inn. He took a look at his surroundings. At first glance, the town seemed to be energetic with people bustling and working to do their own individual tasks. Upon closer observation though, Kirito saw scattered people who appeared to be homeless, just sitting in the streets looking helpless and desperate. A_re those players? And if so, are the more energetic ones supposed to be the NPCs?_ Kirito was surprised to see that colored cursors no longer appeared above people's heads, showing whether they were a player or NPC. If it weren't for the huge difference in attitude between the players and NPCs, he doubted he'd be able to tell the difference between them at all just by looking.

"The whole town is like this," Asuna said, noticing Kirito looking at the current state of the town. "They've all lost the will to fight."

Kirito remained silent. It truly did seem hopeless when you saw everyone like that. They continued to walk until they reached the entrance of a bakery. Asuna took off her hood, as they walked in.

"Welcome!" said one of the waiters, "Table for two? Are you both on a date?"

"N-no it's not like that!" replied Kirito, flustered. He looked over at Asuna to see that she had on the emotionless expression she normally wore. _Why am I getting flustered over something like this? Asuna seems completely fine with it. _Kirito silently cursed the fact he had no experience with girls.

"What a shame, you two would make such a cute couple, too," the waiter said, causing Kirito to become even more embarrassed, "Anyways, let's get you seated first and then I'll take your orders."

They followed the waiter over to a table and grabbed the menus. Without even looking at her menu, Asuna said to the waiter, "I'll take the black bread."

"Make that two, please," Kirito added on.

"Alright, two black breads, will that be all?" the waiter asked.

"Yes..." Asuna replied, staring at Kirito questioningly.

"Okay, your order will be here shortly," said the waiter as she turned around and headed off.

Noticing Asuna's stare, Kirito asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Didn't you want to get something, I don't know, that tastes better than that?" asked Asuna.

"Huh? But I actually like the black bread," answered Kirito honestly, "You don't?"

"The bread is hard and tasteless. How could anyone like it?" answered Asuna, skeptically.

"Why didn't you order something else, then? You could've gotten a pancake for just 3 Col more," replied Kirito, puzzled.

"I'm not here to eat good food. I said it once already, didn't I? Everything in this world is fake anyways. Black bread costs only 1 Col, it's the cheapest thing on the menu. I'll be able to survive just eating one of those a day," Asuna replied.

"Even if that's the case, enjoying yourself a little isn't a bad thing," Kirito stated.

Asuna just remained silent for a moment. "The way you act is so carefree. Do you not understand the situation you're in? You very well could have died if I hadn't been there by chance," she said vexed. It hadn't even been a month but she had already seen people die yet here this boy was acting like the world was fine.

"Of course I realize that, but panicking or getting depressed won't solve anything. If that's the case, why not enjoy living while you can?" Kirito replied.

"You can call this living?" Asuna challenged, trembling slightly, "We're trapped in this world. It's basically a giant cage with pretty graphics. We're prisoners in this death game. We might as well be dead."

Kirito paused, trying to think of the right words to say. "The your thoughts, the decisions you make, the emotions you feel, they're all real. They're proof that we're still living here in this world. Those are things that no one will ever be able to take from us. I won't let this Kayaba or this death game change me into something I'm not. We definitely have the potential to become stronger than all of this. Panicking is a sure way to get yourself killed. Sitting around not doing anything won't help, either. I have a family in the real world that I need to get back to. If I lose hope and don't do anything, I'm as good as dead. That's why even if it's all virtual, I have accept it and live."

Asuna sat there without a sound as she reflected on his words. _A family to return to…_

Asuna's thoughts went to her family. They were all likely worried sick about her. Knowing her brother, he'd be blaming himself for this mess and for giving her the game. She felt a pain in her chest. She missed her family dearly. No matter what, she wanted to be free from this game. She wanted to be able to see all of them again. Tears threatened to form. Asuna tried to maintain her composure and questioned Kirito, "I asked this before, however I want to ask again. Now that you've seen the town a little and better understand the situation, do you still really think we have a chance of clearing the game?"

"Yes, I do; I have to," replied Kirito, "If we try, there's a chance we can win. If we don't, we'll definitely lose. If that's the case, I'll fight, not just for my sake, but for those waiting for me in the real world, too."

Asuna stopped responding, seeming to have calmed down a bit. They sat together in silence before the waiter came back with their two breads. "Sorry for the wait. Enjoy your meal, you two."

"Thank you," Kirito and Asuna replied. The waiter turned around and walked away.

"What is that?" Asuna questioned as she saw Kirito take out a jar of some kind of cream and placed it on his bread with a butter knife.

"Oh this? It's a type of cream I normally add to my bread to give it a twist. You can get it from a quest from an old lady who lives alone just outside the fields of this town. Klein and I did the quest a few times when I was teaching him how to fight. Did you want some?" replied Kirito.

"No thanks," Asuna said, "I just said I didn't come here to eat good food, didn't I?"

"Just try a little bit," Kirito insisted.

Sighing, Asuna gave in and allowed him to put the cream on her bread. Kirito then handed her bread back to her and took a bite of his.

_He sure looks like he's enjoying it, _Asuna thought, _Though __I guess anyone would if they hadn't eaten for 15 days._

Asuna took her first bite out of her bread. She was filled with shock. What was this? It was delicious! It was by no means on the level of a cake but it tasted a hundred times better than the hard, stale bread she was used to eating every day. Asuna took another bite, then another. Unable to stop herself, she took many more consecutive bites into the bread, finishing the meal within 3 seconds. Asuna let out a sigh of satisfaction. It had been awhile since she tasted anything good.

Kirito, who had been watching the entire scene, stopped eating his bread for a moment. Then all of a sudden he started laughing. He tried to hold it in but he couldn't after seeing the sight before him. While she was eating, her facial expression was the polar opposite of what he was used to seeing on her. She seemed happy.

"What is it?" Asuna said, quite flustered and showing hints of anger.

"S-sorry," Kirito said as he tried to stop laughing. "You seemed to enjoy the bread a lot," Kirito finished with a smile.

"Hmph I was just surprised it tasted so different just by adding that cream!" Asuna said in denial. "That's all that it was," she said pouting.

_So you can make expressions like that, too. _Kirito thought to himself, unintentionally staring at Asuna's face. Her face was usually expressionless, hiding hints of pain and despair. It saddened him seeing her like that so he was glad she was finally beginning to show other emotions.

"What are you looking at?" Asuna said, breaking Kirito out of his daze.

"Oh, erm, nothing!" Kirito answered. Asuna looked at him doubtfully.

"Anyways," Asuna announced, "For laughing at my expense, I'll be making you pay for the meal," Asuna told him.

"What? How am I supposed to do that? I'm completely out of Col and you won't even let me go outside to earn some," Kirito said.

Pondering his question for a moment, Asuna thought of an answer, "That sword of yours... you can sell that for at least 300 Col, can't you?"

"Y-You're joking, right?" Kirito asked fearfully.

"Eh? Why would I be joking?" Asuna smiled evilly, "Waiter, I'd like to order another cake please!"

·:·:·:·:·:·

"102 Col," Kirito groaned, "I had to spend 100 Col on that one cake! Why'd you have to get the most expensive thing on the menu?"

The two of them had just left the bakery and were heading back to the inn. Asuna was in front leading the way. She seemed more energetic than usual and slightly more cheerful.

"It was a new item that I didn't try yet," Asuna said simply.

"And I thought you said good food didn't matter to you," Kirito replied.

Asuna ignored his comment. Kirito sighed, deciding to let it slide since this was the most lively he'd seen her since he met her.

"That was really too cruel, though," Kirito complained, "I almost lost my beloved sword to pay for the cake. Luckily, the bakery owner was interested in the cream I got from the quest and was willing to let us eat free if I told him where to get it."

Asuna laughed a little at his predicament and turned around with a whole-hearted genuine smile.

"Thank you, Kirito-kun," she said, slightly teasing but really meaning it at the same time.

Kirito couldn't help but think she was beautiful when she smiled. Blushing slightly, Kirito averted his eyes. "Y-you're welcome," Kirito replied while scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, you seem more energetic than usual, Asuna. Did something perhaps happen between the two of you?" a voice came from behind Asuna.

"Argo!" she yelled, somewhat blushing while turning towards the direction of the voice.

"The one and only," Argo said with a smirk.

"Nothing happened," Asuna answered, calming her voice down a little.

"Hey, Argo-san," Kirito greeted.

"Hey Kirito. How are ya feeling?" asked Argo.

"Well, I haven't fallen on my face yet so I'd say I'm doing better," Kirito answered.

"That's good. Anyways, I didn't come here just to chitchat. The both of you need to know something," Argo replied.

"What is it?" asked Asuna questioningly.

"So you know, lately there have been witnesses of players being robbed and even being attacked by people. But no one was willing to go as far as murder," Argo started, "That was until now anyways."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Asuna asked, hoping she misheard what Argo had just said.

"Just yesterday, a group of 5 players came into the town wearing cloaks. Their faces were covered so no one could give any details about their appearance. They didn't do anything at first but then suddenly... They started attacking people. They didn't even attack them for the items. Witnesses say they didn't take anything with them and just continued to kill. They fought simply for the sake of murdering people. The five didn't hold back on anyone, even a few children were killed in the slaughter," Argo said, disgusted, "In the end, some of the players fought back and the red players were soon outnumbered. They fled the scene once they realized they were losing. 17 people were killed, and one missing. After the attackers fled, a boy pursued them alone and never returned."

"That can't be!" Kirito shouted. He wasn't willing to accept that there were people who could treat life as nothing more than their toys. That they could just kill people without a care.

"It's the truth, Ki-bou. There are people who are crazy enough to PK in this world. They don't give a damn about our lives. They treat it as if it were just a game like in the beta," Argo replied, clearly angered.

Kirito clenched his fists, his blood boiling, "We have to do something to stop them. Something, anything! If they're not taken care of who more innocent people are going to die. I can't stand knowing that they might be out there somewhere right now, not caring about the lives they've taken."

"Oh? You've changed Ki-bou. What happened to the solo player I knew that rarely showed any concern towards others?" Argo mused.

Kirito was taken aback for a moment. Had he changed? _I guess I have, _he thought to himself silently, _The old me was going to leave a friend behind, just so that I could survive. I didn't care about anything but my own life. In that aspect, you could say I was similar to the PKers... But... I don't want to be that person anymore. _"The stakes are different now, if we die, it means our actual lives are at risk. I… I couldn't forgive myself if I just stood by and did nothing. Not when I know people may be dying right now," Kirito replied.

"17 people…" said Asuna. Her voice was trembling. "17 people… even children. You can't be serious… Why would anyone..." she stopped, unable to say more than that. Asuna never had a younger sibling but she had always wanted one. Children were such adorable, precious things with their joyful laughter, their bright smiles and their innocent eyes that haven't yet been tainted by the world. How could anyone take all of that away without even batting an eye?

"I'll never forgive them," Asuna stated in a cold monotone, seemingly regaining her composure, "Argo, do you know where they are right now or have a hint to their whereabouts?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. Give me a few days and I can definitely find out," Argo said with a confident smirk, "What would you be planning to do with such information, though?"

"Isn't that obvious? I'll find them and-" Asuna paused. What would she do after that? Scold them? As if that would change a thing. Fight them? Then what after? Had she been planning on killing them? Asuna shuddered. No… She didn't want to be a killer. Regardless of how justified the killing may be, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to. How could she bear the guilt? Asuna went quiet.

"I'll do it," Kirito suddenly answered, "I'll deal with them. If you find out any information about them Argo, please, tell me."

"Wait what do you mean you'll do it?" asked Asuna.

"If someone doesn't stop them, they'll continue to kill more and more innocent people. Someone has to carry the burden and dirty their hands. I don't want that person to have to be you," Kirito replied.

"But I can't let it be you, either!" Asuna shouted in objection.

"So we don't do anything and more people end up dying? Most of these people haven't even left the town, they're total noobs. Some are even children, how could they possibly fight yet? At least I have some actual experience from the beta. If I don't do something about it, tell me, who will? We can't expect a hero won't come out of nowhere to save the day," Kirito replied, serious about his decision.

Asuna opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Kirito wasn't wrong, she knew that. Even so though, she couldn't just accept his decision.

Argo spoke up. "I don't like the idea of either of you doing anything. Both of you aren't too far from being kids yourselves. You're too young to shoulder that kind of burden," Argo said, despite not being much older than them, "But if you can pay, Ki-bou, I guess I'll have to tell you. I'll be charging you 10 times the normal amount of money, though."

"Thanks, Argo," Kirito replied, knowing that this was just her way of showing worry and trying to convince him out of it. On the outside she may seem greedy and selfish, but deep down, Argo really was a good person. Though she didn't show it much, she was concerned about all her friends and wanted to help people.

"Anyways, for all the information I've given to the both of you so far, I'm charging Ki-bou 200 Col," Argo said with a smile.

"What? Why only me!?" Kirito objected.

"Because you're Ki-bou," Argo replied simply.

_Okay maybe her being greedy and selfish isn't completely just on the outside._ "Fine fine, I owe Asuna a lot anyways. I don't currently have any Col though so can I pay you back in a few days?"

"Sure. There's a 50% interest rate for everyday you're late though," Argo said.

Kirito's face whitened, "Y-you're joking right Argo?"

"You should already know the answer to that," Argo said flatly.

·:·:·:·:·:·

As the sun drowned in the horizon, it's rays of glimmering light shone across the late, evening sky. The clouds slowly darkened and began to fade from sight.

"It really is beautiful," Kirito said, staring at the sky in wonder.

"You seem to be forgetting that this is all fake," Asuna replied. Though she said that, her eyes were still drawn to the alluring view.

A little over a week had passed since Kirito awoke from his comatose state. He had started feeling well enough to move and was undergoing rehabilitation under Asuna's careful watch. The duo had spent the better part of the day training. At first, they would just go on simple walks to see how Kirito managed. Since he seemed to be getting better, Asuna had allowed him to train with her in the fields just outside the town. Though he was still weakened, he had enough strength to at least hold his own in a fight.

As soon as Kirito was well enough to move, he had done a few basic quests with Asuna such as searching for lost dogs and returning them. From what he had learned, quests had changed since in the beta. They were no longer always the same and recurring. Whenever an NPC needed help with something, you would see a yellow exclamation mark appear above their heads. You could then talk to them to help them out and once you successfully finished the quest, they would pay you. The ability to see when an NPC needed help was an ability all the players had. The same quest usually didn't happen again though unless it was something that the NPC would need help with frequently. To the NPCs, the players were guardians of some sort, sent to the world by the gods to protect and aid them. Kirito assumed all this was done to make the game's story as real as possible.

Kirito had used the money from the quests to buy his own room in the inn since it was awkward for Asuna and himself to have to sleep in the same room.

Kirito gave a small laugh, "Can't you just agree and enjoy the view?"

"Of course I can't, it's just an artificial imitation. It's all fake," Asuna said, still unable to look away from the sky. "Though, I guess it is a little pretty…"

Kirito smiled to himself. Asuna was slowly beginning to allow herself some enjoyment in this world. Though the changes were small, she seemed more cheerful. She wasn't exactly the depiction of happines,s but her spirits no longer seemed to be as gloomy.

"We should head back soon," Asuna stated, "It's dangerous here at night."

"Ah, wait a moment," Kirito said as Asuna started walking to the town.

"What is it?" she asked, turning her head around.

"I actually wanted to train for a bit longer. I'm over half a month behind, I need to catch up," Kirito told her.

"The enemies that come now are going to be more powerful than anything we've fought so far. We should just come back here early in the morning," Asuna replied.

"All the more reason to stay. It'd be a good experience fighting tougher enemies and I want to make sure I can hold my own against tougher enemies in a fight," reasoned Kirito.

Asuna gave a sigh, "Are you sure your body can handle it right now? And you better not lie, we've been here for most the day. If you're tired, we're heading back."

"I'm sure," Kirito answered confidently.

"Fine, just until midnight, though," Asuna complied.

The two searched the fields together, looking for monsters to battle. They ran into a «Dire Wolf» that charged straight at them.

"Heh, I was wondering when I'd see one of you again," Kirito dashed towards the wolf and activated the sword skill «Horizontal», cutting the side of the wolf. The wolf howled in pain as it turned around and glared at Kirito. Charging at him once again, the wolf leapt and attempted to attack the boy. Kirito quickly sidestepped and slashed into the wolf's neck, ending its life.

"You can let me attack, too, you know," Asuna said as she walked up to Kirito.

"Oh, sorry," Kirito replied sheepishly, "I guess I got too into the fight."

"Well at least you have to be doing well to move that quickly," Asuna replied with a small smile. She had heard from Argo that Kirito was incredibly skilled in the beta, unmatched by most of the others. It had still surprised her when she saw Kirito's first battle against a monster. Though Kirito still had difficulty moving, he made up for that with the skill he displayed. He hardly wasted any movements and took down the enemy, barely moving from his spot. Now that he was able to move his body more swiftly, he was even stronger.

Asuna dropped her smile as she remembered what would happen after he healed. As soon as Kirito recovered, he had been planning to leave the town and try to clear the game. It would be dangerous and there was no telling if he would survive. Asuna still doubted beating the game was even possible.

"Asuna? Is something wrong?" Kirito asked, noticing the look on her face.

"Ah, no, it's nothing," Asuna said. "Anyways let's go. We don't have too much time before midnight."

·:·:·:·:·:·

Kirito awoke early the next morning; he hoped no one else would be up yet. Kirito decided he had stayed at the Town of Beginnings long enough, it was time to leave. Kirito considered telling Asuna about his plan to leave last night, but decided against it. There was a chance she might try to stop him again. He had made up his mind, he wanted to show Asuna and everyone else there was hope in clearing this death game, that it was possible. He put on his equipment as he exited his room.

Kirito walked quietly, trying not to make a sound.

"Wait," a voice came from behind him.

"So, you woke up," Kirito said as he turned around. Asuna stood there, already dressed and ready.

"More like I couldn't fall asleep," Asuna replied tiredly. "But that's beside the point. What are you doing?" she questioned.

Kirito hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should make an excuse or just be honest with her. He looked into Asuna's eyes and decided he couldn't lie to the girl, he didn't want to. "I'm going," Kirito replied simply with resolve.

"I see," Asuna said bitterly. It was obvious she was still against Kirito leaving. "I don't want to see anyone else die but at the same time I know I can't keep you here against your will. So how about a compromise?"

"A compromise?" Kirito asked.

"Yes, as payment for sheltering you for the past month I ask this one thing. Duel me," replied Asuna in a serious tone.

Kirito was taken aback. Did he hear her correctly? "Wait, duel you? Why would you want to-"

"I'm making a deal. It's also a test to see if you really have recovered enough to fight. If you win, you're free to go and do as you please. Your debt to me will be paid. If not then you have to listen to everything I say. Will those conditions suffice?" Asuna questioned.

"Wait! You heard what Kayaba said. Pain absorbers are off, any damage you take will feel real!" Kirito exclaimed, trying to convince her out of it.

"If you're worried about pain, then you should forget about fighting hordes of monsters," Asuna replied firmly.

_I was more worried about hurting you,_ Kirito thought to himself.

"Still, isn't that just a little unfair? You're a level 3 while I'm still just a level 2," Kirito complained trying to change his arguement, "I'm half a month behind."

"Red players and monsters aren't going to care if it's 'unfair'," Asuna said flatly.

_I guess she does have a point, _Kirito thought to himself, not fully wanting to admit it.

"If that's all, then duel me," Asuna said.

"What's all the ruckus about?" Argo said in slight annoyance as she came out of her room.

"Kirito wants to leave again so I'm allowing him to only if he can defeat me in a duel," Asuna told her.

"That's why you made so much noise and woke me up?" Argo said, half asleep and still annoyed, "Wait, Ki-bou you're leaving?"

"I was planning to at least. Asuna's against it, though. Argo will you please tell her the duel is a bad idea? Not only would the pain be excruciating, but revives are no longer possible. If an accident happens and our HP reaches 0, that'll be the end of us," Kirito said to the information dealer.

"Eh? I actually think it's a good way to test your strength and see if you're really ready to leave yet. As for dying, you don't have to worry about that. Duels are still safe. Even if all your HP vanishes, at the end of the duel you'll be healed a small amount and your life won't be in danger," Argo replied.

"You didn't know that?" Asuna asked Kirito, dumbfounded, "Weren't you supposed to be some experienced veteran in this game?"

"Give me a break, this is my first duel since the beta test," Kirito said defensively, a little flustered. He still didn't want to accept the duel, however. He was about to reject the duel again, but stopped himself. He looked into her hazel brown eyes and saw something. They were no longer cold and empty as they had been before. Asuna stared at him as if she was looking at him for an answer.

"'We definitely have the potential to become stronger than all of this.' That's what you said to me isn't it? If you can beat this game, I want you to prove it to me. Show me what you said was true, that your words weren't empty," Asuna said, almost losing her composure. Though it was slowly, Asuna was beginning to have hope again. She still had many doubts but she wanted to put her faith in the words Kirito had spoken to her. This was a duel Kirito couldn't pass down; he had to prove himself to her.

"Alright, I get it. I accept your challenge, Asuna," Kirito replied, ready to give it his all. The three of them went outside the inn to find a more open area in the town.

"Hm… This place will do," Asuna said as they entered a wide street with only a few people passing by.

"Alright, are you sure you want to do this?" Kirito asked one more time to confirm.

Asuna nodded her head in response. Argo stood nearby observing the duel. She couldn't see a clear winner to this fight. Though Kirito's skill surpassed Asuna's, he was weakened and wasn't nearly as quick as he used to be. Even though Asuna lacked experience, her insane, natural speed made up for it.

Asuna made a few hand movements in the air as she opened a holographic menu and sent Kirito a duel request.

«Asuna has challenge you to a duel. Do you accept?»

Kirito consented to the duel. As soon as he did, a holographic timer appeared over their heads.

«3… 2… 1… DUEL START!»

Asuna was the first to close the distance between them as she ran towards Kirito and activated the 1-handed sword skill, «Linear». Her rapier flashed with a blinding white light as it moved straight for Kirito's heart. Kirito desperately activated the sword skill «Diagonal», barely managing to parry the attack. A loud, metallic clang rung throughout the area as metal hit metal. The deflected rapier narrowly missed Kirito's head, cutting off a few strands of hair. Kirito jumped backwards, putting some distance between them again.

"That was just a warning shot," Asuna said in a cool demeanor._ Even with him still being sick he was able to block that? His reaction time is a lot faster than I thought._

"You're movement speed is just way too fast, it's hard to believe you weren't a beta-tester," Kirito said half-jokingly with adrenaline rushing through his veins. _I'm going to have to be completely serious if I want even a chance at defeating her._

This time, Kirito was the one to charge at Asuna. He swung his sword in a downward slashing motion. Asuna nimbly sidestepped and dodged the strike. Without wasting a moment, Asuna then swung her rapier at Kirito who managed to block it. With their swords locked together, Kirito used his free hand to try to break Asuna's grip on the sword. Reading his movements, Asuna stopped his hand with hers.

Asuna jumped back, trying to give herself breathing space. She then launches a flurry of piercing attacks using the length of her arm and sword to give her extra range. Unable to keep up with that many consecutive hits, Kirito backed up. _Damn, I still can't move my body as quickly as I used to. Since she has to retract her arm for every strike I have a chance to parry her sword and counter-attack. Given her insane speeds, the window of opportunity is small and I have to time this perfectly,_ Kirito thought to himself.

As Asuna pulled back her rapier again, Kirito launched himself towards her with a single leap. Aiming for her upper body, Kirito activated the sword skill «Vertical». The system assist takes over, building up energy in his arm and causing his sword began glowing a blue ethereal sheen. Kirito's blade whistled as it cut through the air. This time, Asuna was the one struggling to parry the attack by activating her «Linear». After Asuna managed to parry the attack, the two exchanged several more blows, neither of them able to land the decisive blow. Minutes passed and the both began to be covered with sweat. The two ended up locking their swords together once again.

"You know, you're pretty good at this for someone who was new to gaming until recently," Kirito said out of breath.

"And your movements don't seem like something a sick person could pull off," Asuna said panting.

Kirito gave a small laugh and said with a grin, "It looks like we're both getting tired out. I say it's about time we finished this."

"I was just thinking the same!" Asuna shouted as she pushed put all her weight into the swing. With her superior level and strength stat, she forced Kirito to be pushed back.

"It must be convenient being a higher level," Kirito said jokingly as he regained his footing.

"It must be nice having gained experience in the beta test," Asuna countered smirking.

"Point taken," Kirito replied with a grin.

Asuna stabbed her rapier towards Kirito's chest. He sidestepped but the attack had still cut his left arm. Without wasting a moment, Kirito swung his sword in a horizontal motion, grazing Asuna's left leg.

_It's now or never!_ they both thought simultaneously. Gritting his teeth to fight off the sharp pain, Kirito decided to go all in. He swung his sword with all his might at Asuna's vulnerable side as she did the same. _I... I can't do it. _Kirito stopped his blade an inch short of her neck. He closed his eyes, waiting for Asuna's strike to land and the agonizing pain that promised to follow. One second passed, then two. He still felt nothing. Kirito curiously opened one of his eyes to see that she too had halted her blade and had her eyes closed waiting for the impact.

Slowly Asuna opened one of her eyes in a manner likewise to Kirito. "E-eh? Why didn't you attack? You could've won."

"Same goes for you," Kirito stated, sheathing his sword, "Why didn't you land the finishing blow?"

"I asked you first," Asuna replied defiantly.

Kirito laughed at her response. "I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you. I didn't want to," he replied simply.

"Even though that meant not only would you have lost, but also suffered from some pretty intense pain?" Asuna stared at him questionably.

"Winning wasn't worth hurting you. I'd rather suffer the pain than see you go through it," Kirito replied.

"I see…" Asuna replied. Kirito thought he saw Asuna's blush slightly for a moment but brushed it off as his imagination.

"Now what about you? Why didn't you finish me off?" Kirito asked.

"I thought about what you said and decided you were right. I don't want it to change me into someone I'm not; I don't want to lose to this world. Even if beating this game is truly impossible, I can't let myself sit around and cower in fear. That would basically mean admitting defeat wouldn't it? I want to fight, even if it is hopeless," Asuna stated with newfound resolve.

Kirito smiled, glad that Asuna had once again regained her will to survive. "Draw?" he offered.

"Draw," Asuna replied contently.

«DUEL DRAW!»

Suddenly there was a clap, followed by many other claps and cheering. Asuna and Kirito looked around, finally noticing the audience of people that had gathered to watch their fight. The audience showed a mixture of satisfaction at seeing an entertaining fight and relief that no one was hurt. It was the most lively any of them had been in awhile. Kirito was somewhat embarrassed, not used to getting this much attention from people. Asuna didn't seem to be feeling any more confident than him. They both just looked at the crowd with awkward smiles and bowed.

"I have to say I'm impressed you two," Argo said walking towards them with a smile, "I figured it would be a good fight but you guys went beyond my expectations."

"Thanks," Kirito and Asuna both replied a bit sheepishly.

"Ow, it hurts," Asuna winced in pain as she tried to take a step to walk.

"Here, use this," Kirito said taking out a health potion from his inventory and handing it to the girl.

"Thanks," she replied softly before uncorking the vial and drinking the red mixture inside of it. Kirito opened a health potion for himself and also drank down its contents. The wounds that both of them had suffered slowly vanished as their HP bars gradually refilled.

"Ugh, I'll never get used to these disgusting potions," Asuna grimaced, "They taste like medicine."

"Well that's exactly what it is," Kirito laughed, "Don't worry. The elixirs on the higher leveled floors will taste better, almost like a variety of juices. Eventually, there will be magic healing crystals that heal you and don't require drinking altogether."

"You really are confident that we'll make it to the next floor," Asuna hummed, amused. "Well it's settled then. You're taking me along for your journey," Asuna ordered.

"W-what?" Kirito said surprised. He hadn't expected her to actually want to go with him and the way she said it seemed like a command. "It's dangerous out there, Asuna. There's no telling what might happen and I can't guarantee your safety."

"I didn't ask for your protection," Asuna replied stubbornly, "I just said to let me tag along."

"I don't know…" Kirito replied hesitantly. It's not like he didn't enjoy her company, quite the opposite actually. However, Kirito didn't know if he'd be able to protect her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she died because of him. _Isn't this just like what happened with Klein, though? Do I really want to leave her behind, too?_

"Did you already forget about our agreement? You have to listen to everything I say," Asuna said.

"What? But I didn't lose," Kirito exclaimed in confusion.

"That's not what we agreed on," Asuna replied with a sly smirk. "I said if you win, then you can go. If not you'd have to listen to me. Consider your debt paid," she said with feign innocence.

"I- T-that is," Kirito stuttered trying to say something. She was totally right, that was what they agreed on. Though he didn't lose, he didn't win either. He gave a sigh in defeat. "You do know that you're putting your life in my hands... Do you trust me?"

Asuna tilted her head as if the answer was as plain as day. Her expression was free of any conflict or doubt. "Of course I do. I'll be traveling together with you from now on. Please take care of me, Kirito-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So for those of you asking for more Kirito, I hope this chapter pleases you. Liked it? Hated it? Again, leave a review! If you have any suggestions please let me know. Criticism is welcome and if you catch a mistake, please let me know. Thanks for reading!


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